The Walking Dead
by KaitlynWinchester
Summary: The world has suddenly become ravaged by a disease that brings the dead back to life. A group of survivors try to make it in the apocalyptic world. Focuses mainly on Daryl Dixon and my Oc Kaitlyn. I know the title isn't very original, sorry!
1. Chapter 1-A Chance Meeting

It was cold. At least cold for late September, cold enough to need a jacket. Kaitlyn's boots crunched in the falling leaves from the trees as she walked down the road, her breath was almost visible. It was odd for it to be so cold so early in the year. She had her hood pulled up over her dark brown hair which fell over her each of her shoulders. He dark brown eyes were made to look even darker in the shadow cast by her hood. She was walking back to her parent's house. She had taken a trip up to the local gas station to pick up some hamburger buns for dinner a few days earlier but a big storm had rolled through, trapping her and four other people in the gas station for three whole days. Though the storm only lasted for a few hours, a large tree had fallen in front of the only exit and they had to get themselves out. Kaitlyn was still curious as to why help never came, but at least they all made it out just fine. From what she could tell, no one's house had been damaged by the storm.

She turned down her parent' street and continued to walk. Kaitlyn was back home visiting from Georgia State. She felt the two packs of gum she had brought for her two younger siblings in one of her pockets, her other hand holding the pack of buns, letting it swing idly back and forth. She looked up into the sky. The sun was just setting and the sky was alight with beautiful purples and oranges and varrying shades of gold.

As she walked, the silver locket that hung from her neck bounced lightly off her chest. The locket was purchased by Kaitlyn's younger sister, Emily, at a yard sale for only five dollars. She had given it to Kaitlyn as a going away gift before she left for college; Emily was only eight at the time. Kaitlyn, after leaving, went to a local jewelry store and had the names of her siblings engraved into the front in age order;

Kaitlyn  
Devin  
Emily

Inside the locket was a picture of all three of them together. Emily was eight then and Devin 14. Their faces slightly burnt by the sun and their smiles wide but sad. The picture had been taken two years ago before Kaitlyn left for college. Even since then she hadn't chosen a major. She had so many options. She had considered teaching, then psychology, then engineering, but still nothing had set yet. The sun had finally disappeared behind the mountains and Kaitlyn had nothing to guide her but the street lights. She continued towards home, now lost in deep thought about her future. It was not until she heard the muffled moaning that she noticed the man slowly limping down the road away from her. One of his legs looked broken and he seemed barely conscious. Kaitlyn dropped the buns and hurried towards the man. "Sir. Sir, are you alright? Has there been an accident?" She questioned. The man stopped dead center in the light of one of the street lamps. Kaitlyn paused right at the edge of the light. Something about the man looked wrong, just off. Nervously, Kaitlyn took a step into the light. The man slowly began to turn, and Kaitlyn gasped in horror.

The man was missing a huge chunk from the left side of his face. His gums and teeth were jutting out and his gums were black with infection. Blood mixed with saliva dripped out of his exposed mouth and down onto his dirty shirt. His eyes were glazed over and unfocused, almost like he was dead. The bone of his lower left leg was jutting out and blood too, oozed from that. Kaitlyn turned and wretched in the street, righted herself, the doubled over and vomited again. She finally pulled herself together and addressed the man. "Sir, what happened? Look I'll get you some help, ok?" She took a step forward, extending her hand as she did so. The man cocked his head then took a tentative step towards her. She smiled reassuringly at the man. Then he charged.

He was on her in a matter of seconds. He reached and grabbed onto her shoulders, the force of the collision sending them both to the ground. She let out a loud shriek as she hit the ground and the breath was knocked out of her. He eyes became unfocused for a moment and her mind blurred. Then she was snapped back to reality by the crushing weight of the man now lying on top of her. His force was making it hard to breath and she stared up into his mutilated face, his blood dripping onto her cheek. The man began to bite at her face his teeth snapping barely and inch away. She pushed up on him with all her weight but he wouldn't budge. She then did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. She screamed so loud she hurt her own ears. 'Help! HELP!" She shrieked then started to scream again. She started to writhe under the mad, throwing him a little off balance, but in the end only bringing his snapping teeth that much closer to her face. She could feel his hot breath on her face. It stank of rotting flesh and blood. She had to fight the urge to vomit again. The man raised his head, opening his mouth wide, ready for the kill. She looked up into his eyes, her own widening with pure terror. Then he thrust his head down and just as his teeth were about to latch on to her face, something slammed through his head, spattering Kaitlyn with blood.

His sudden dead weight even more heavy than before, Kaitlyn began to gasp for breath. Suddenly the weight was off of her and someone had latched onto her right arm, right above her elbow. "C'mon!" a male voice shouted at her, pulling her to her feet. She saw him reach down and pull an arrow from the dead man's head before grabbing her elbow again and leading her off towards one of the nearby houses. He was gripping her elbow very strongly and pulling her along quickly, even though she was stumbling behind him. From what she could tell, he was probably five inches taller than her own five foot six. He had medium brown hair that was very untidy. Strapped over his shoulder was a crossbow, what he must have used to shoot that man. He was wearing a cutoff plaid shirt, a pair of jeans, and some work boots.

He hurried across the lawn and up to the door. It was unlocked and he shoved her in first before slamming the door behind them and locking it. Kaitlyn ran a hand through her hair nervously, her hood no fallen of her head. The man who had saved her was rushing around closing all of the curtains in the nearby dining room. After he had succeeded in that he lit a bright lantern that was sitting in the middle of the table. He seemed to know his way around the house, but Kaitlyn knew he didn't live there. No, this was the McLaren's house. Their little girl Mariah was Emily's best friend. But where were they?

Kaitlyn stepped carefully into the room, the realization that she was in a room with a man who had just killed someone else suddenly dawned on her. But if he didn't kill that man, then would she be standing there? They man was sitting in one of the four chairs, his face in his hands, looking very upset. Kaitlyn wondered if it was because of what he had just done, if the realization had dawned on him as well. She took another step forward toward him and the floor creaked under her careful foot. His head snapped up and he was glaring at Kaitlyn, his eyes full of anger. He jumped up, sending the chair crashing behind him. "You stupid bitch! What the hell were you doing out there alone, at night, without a weapon?" he demanded. Kaitlyn was a bit taken aback. "What, what do you mean. Why would I need a weapon?" She asked incredulously. He took a step towards her, anger still written across his face.

"Where've you been the past few days?" He asked.

"I-I was trapped in a gas station. When the storm came through, a tree blocked us in. I just got out recently." She explained quickly, but he still looked angry. "You killed that man back there." She said quietly, raising her eyes up to his, but, she was surprised to see not an ounce of remorse in his blue-grey eyes.

"That, that out there wasn't no man. At least not anymore. He was a walker." He told her angrily, as if he was mad that she did not realize this.

"A walker, what the hell is a walker?" She questioned, her own anger rising to meet his as she took another step towards him.

"A dead person that ain't so dead no more!" He yelled, stepping towards her. They were only a few inches apart, but Kaitlyn refused to back down. She stepped closer.

"What is that supposed to mean? A dead person is dead!" She lashed back.

He stepped forward until their noses were almost touching. "Not anymore, they started coming back, and they want to eat people. You saw that guy out there, he wanted to eat you! If I wouldn't have shot him you'd have been dead! Actually I probably should've just left your ass out there; all the noise you made is gonna draw in every one for miles around!"

"Then why didn't you? Leave me."

He stopped, staring into her scrutinizing brown eyes. "I. I don't know, but I think I regret it now." He stepped back and picked up the chair he had thrown down and sat back down in it. Kaitlyn sank down into the one across the table. The sudden truth of what he had said washed over her. "How. How are the dead people coming back?" She asked quietly, her voice barely audible.

"I don't know. It's some kind of disease or something. If they bite you, you become infected, and soon enough you turn into one of them." He told her, his own voice much quieter now. "The only way to kill 'em is to destroy the brain. The disease just came out of nowhere, you know. Just suddenly dead people were walking. People started to go crazy and started looting houses, killing living people and dead ones."

Kaitlyn looked up fear still fastened on her face. She couldn't make sense of it all, so she decided to move to something that did make sense. "So, what's your name?"

"Daryl, Daryl Dixon. You?"

"Kaitlyn Hurt." She extended her hand for a hand shake. He took it slowly. "And thank you Daryl, for saving my life."

"Yeah, whatever." He said, pulling his hand out of hers and placing it over the back of his chair.

She sat back, wrapping her arms around herself, holding her elbows lightly. Her right elbow was still very sore where Daryl had grabbed her, and felt as if it would probably be bruised come morning. She looked up to see Daryl with his head cocked to one side, looking at her curiously.

"Who the hell are you?" A different voice said. Both Kaitlyn and Daryl jumped. Standing in the entryway to the kitchen was a tall man with little to no hair who looked much older than Daryl. He had a hunting rifle in one hand and was looking with unmasked discontent at Daryl. "What is she doing here?"

"She got jumped by a walker and started yelling like crazy. I had to get her off the streets before she got the attention of every walker in the state." Daryl explained calmly, but the other man didn't look too convinced. "Look Merle, it's not like I planned on keeping her." He said quietly.

"Yeah, you better not've." Merle said. "Where's she supposed to sleep? Looters done got the couch here and there are only two beds here."

"I'll figure something out." Daryl told him calmly.

"Well good, 'cause she sure as hell ain't sleepin' with me." He said, leaving the dining room and heading up the stairs.

Kaitlyn was still sitting with her elbows in her hands, and she followed Merle with her eyes until he was out of sight. "So, uh. That was my brother Merle." Daryl said awkwardly. He then stood up and headed up the stairs. "Hey wait for me." Kaitlyn called, chasing after him.

She followed him up the stairs and down the hallway to the back room. He opened the door and Kaitlyn came in after him. She looked around and immediately knew that they were in Mariah's bedroom. The flowers and princess stickers gave it away as well as the light pink bed set. Daryl then turned to her and crossed his arms. "Look. There's one bed and two of us." He stated. Kaitlyn removed her now bloody jacket and sat it on one of Mariah's pink fluffy chairs by the door.

"Well, I don't want to sleep in the floor." She said. "I've been sleeping on a tile floor for three days now."

"Well, I don't want to sleep in the floor either." Daryl said.

"What do we do then, I guess were just both stuck in the bed."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Daryl took a step back and pulled his shirt over his head then threw it across the room. Kaitlyn's eyes were inadvertently drawn to his flat toned core. She managed to stop herself from staring and instead brought her eyes to his. There was something challenging in them. Kaitlyn knew what he was doing. He was trying to make her feel awkward so that maybe she would give up her spot on the bed. Kaitlyn also knew that there was no way that she would let him win. She smiled and acidly sweet smile and unbuttoned her pants before slipping them off, revealing her zebra-print boy-short panties. She nodded at him, urging him to take his turn. He raised his eyebrows but quickly shuffled out of his pants. So he stood there in a pair of teal boxers, staring her dead in the eye. Next Kaitlyn took off her Tee and laid down in nothing but a tank top and her panties. For a moment she thought she had won and smiled triumphantly, pulling the blanket up to her chin and cuddling into it happily. Then she felt the bed move as Daryl lay down next to her. "Don't hog the blankets, Ok?" He whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, whatever." She replied. She felt the bed move again as Daryl turned his back to her. She could feel the heat coming off his skin and as she lay there, she began to regret taking her clothes off. She hadn't thought that with everything happening, the power was probably out. She tried her best not to shiver, but it was just so cold. Soon enough, she heard Daryl snoring next to her. _"Great."_ She thought. _"He snores."_ After a while Kaitlyn finally warmed up a bit. Her breath began to slow and her eyes began to get heavy. Just as sleep threatened to draw her in, Daryl flipped over and his arm stretched out lying flat across her waist. Her tank top and come up a bit and she could feel the heat of his arm. She swallowed hard. Now fully awake again, the cold washed back over her. Kaitlyn closed her eyes and sighed. If she wanted to sleep she needed warmth, and there was only one way to get it. Carefully she scooted herself backwards into Daryl's chest. She immediately felt his warmth on her back, and, finally, sleep overtook her.


	2. Chapter 2-First Blood

**A/N: So I had intended to add this to the first chapter but forgot. But here's my story, I hope you enjoy it. Uhh. I posted Kaitlyn's outfit in the first review of the last chapter, but I'll add it here too. But thank you for reading and please review and/or favorite!  
polyvore . com kaitlyns_outfit /set?id=61147206 (Just take out the spaces..)**

Soft early morning light creeped through the window of Mariah McLaren's bedroom. The princess stickers on the wall reflected the light. There were cloths strewn about the floor, and a bloodied jacket lying on a fluffy pink chair in the corner. However, the eight year old to whom this room belonged was nowhere to be seen. Instead, two figures lay on her small twin bed, wrapped up under her pale, rose pink blankets. The mirror on the wall near the window threw a stream of bright light, hitting Kaitlyn right in the eyes. She slowly blinked them open, moving her head until the light no longer shined into her eyes. It took her mind a moment to register where she was, and what was going on. She remembered the night before, almost being killed, being saved by a man named Daryl Dixon, then ending up sleeping with him in the small bed because both had refused to take the floor. Somehow in the night though, she had managed to get turned around and now found herself curled into Daryl's chest and his arms were wrapped around her. She tried to pull herself out of his grip, but he was holding too tightly. She gave up and lay back down. She knew there was no way she could get back to sleep, so instead she let her eyes wander up to Daryl's face.

His face was calm and peaceful in sleep. He was no longer snoring and she doubted that he knew she was lying in his arms; she was not even sure herself how they had gotten into that predicament. He wasn't snoring anymore and his deep breathing was ruffling her hair. She noticed that he had no blanket on him anymore, but she was still covered. She wondered vaguely how he still felt so warm without the blanket. As she lay there, still staring at Daryl's face, the door burst open and slammed into the wall. Daryl's eyes flew open and he stared directly into hers. "Wake up sleepin' beauties." Merle Dixon yelled into the room. "Well, well now. What's this?" He asked as he sauntered into the room. Daryl jumped up, pulling his arm out from underneath Kaitlyn, who had also jumped up, was now holding the blanked over herself, feeling suddenly exposed. "It ain't nothin'." Daryl snapped, looking annoyed, but refusing to look into Merle's face.

"Alright, whatever you say little brother." Merle said. "Either way, we're leavin' so get dressed." He turned to leave from the room. "Oh, yeah, and it was nice to meet ya little lady." Then he was gone. Kaitlyn could hear his heavy boots on the stairs as he jogged down them. Daryl stood up quickly and walked towards his clothes and Kaitlyn followed suit. "Why the hell were you on me like that?" He demanded turning to face Kaitlyn.

She was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered. "Hey, if I recall you were the one whose arms were wrapped around me. I tried to get out but couldn't!" She countered.

"Yeah, well I wasn't tryin' to!" He yelled.

"Are you guys really going to leave me out here alone?" She asked her voice almost a whisper, as she slipped her bright green tee over her heard.

"Tell me why we shouldn't?" Daryl said coldly.

"Well because I'm a human being, not just some animal you can throw out. I mean come on, even if those things out there aren't human anymore, I still am." She said as she shimmied back into her pants.

"Not a good enough reason, at least not these days."

"Ok. I can help you guys out. I won't just be a burden….I can shoot." She told him.

"What d'you shoot?" He asked turning to her as he buttoned his pants.

"Well, I can shoot a bow and a gun."

"How do I know you're not just lying?"

"Well I did win the state competition in archery and I used to go hunting with my dad sometimes." She replied.

"Well, we've only got one gun, and Merle's got it. And where do you think you can find a bow?" He retorted.

"David, the man who lives here has one. He's the one who got me interested in archery in the first place."

Daryl looked at her for a second, his blue-grey eyes analyzing her. "Alright, fine." He said finally.

"Cool." She said as she slipped her feet into her brown boots and grabbed her bloody jacket off of one of Mariah's chair. She began to head to the door. "Wait." Daryl's voice stopped her. She turned back around to face him, her eyebrows raised in question. "You just got to promise me one thing. If you see a walker, you don't hesitate to kill it. It ain't a person anymore, Ok?"

Kaitlyn took a deep breath and met Daryl's level gaze. "Yeah, I promise." She said quietly before turning and heading out of the room. Daryl grabbed his crossbow and followed close behind. "I'll just run and get the bow really quick. He keeps usually keeps a bunch of arrows in the garage if you want some more for your crossbow." She told him. She led the way down the stairs and to the back door that was in the kitchen. She held the door for Daryl and when he followed her through, she led the way through the fenced in back yard. It was the same as always. The playground complete with swings, slides, and a sandbox sat in the far left corner. The big willow tree still stood tall in the center. Jennifer's carefully planted flowers were all still in order. It was almost easy to forget what was going on around her in this so very familiar place. The reality of the world they were in, however, was a crushing weight, and Kaitlyn's small moment of bliss was soon smothered out.

The garage was positioned in the very back right corner of the huge yard. She put her hand on the door and began to twist the doorknob, but Daryl stopped her. He pushed in front of her and pointed his crossbow ahead. He slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open. He stepped in and swung his crossbow from side to side, looking for possible walkers. He motioned for Kaitlyn to follow and she did, shutting the door behind her. David's two four-wheelers were sitting to the right. He used to take Devin out riding with him very often. The two had always been close, ever since Devin was little. Kaitlyn knew where David kept the archery equipment. She headed to the back and was relieved to see it was all there. She pulled out the bow and sat it on the workbench nearby. She then pulled out a tub full of arrows. They weren't just sport arrows. She and David had gone hunting together, and he always kept a tub of hunting arrows. She quickly reached in and split them evenly into two piles, one with one more than the other. She gave the biggest pile to Daryl, about 15 arrows. David liked to keep a lot because he had a tendency to lose them. Kaitlyn then pulled a quiver out and placed her share of the arrows into it. She stood up and slung it over her back then began to rummage through some other things. "Damn it." She whispered.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"I can't find the bow sling. I'll just have to carry it over my shoulder." She resolved as she placed the string of the bow across her chest, careful not to put it on her neck. "Ready to go?" She asked. Daryl nodded and Kaitlyn lead the way back outside.

She took off towards the house. "Wait." Once again Daryl's voice stopped her midstride.

"Yes?" She turned back. Daryl was standing right outside the door, pointing at something in the distance.

"Show me you know what you're doing." He demanded. Kaitlyn then knew that he was pointing at the set of three targets across the yard.

"Fine." She reached behind her and removed the bow then pulled an arrow from the quiver. She placed the arrow on the string and walked over next to Daryl. Without hesitation, she pulled the string back, aimed, and released, hitting the target, not quiet dead center, but pretty close. She looked up at Daryl, but he still didn't seem too assured. So she pulled back again two more times, hitting the blue every time. "Believe me now?" She asked. Daryl nodded so she ran across the yard to retrieve the arrows. She pulled them all out with ease and jogged back to Daryl who was already heading back inside. She followed him through the door, placing the arrows back into the quiver and then putting the bow back over her shoulder. "Merle, let's go!" Daryl called as he walked into the dining room. Merle came from around the stairs where Kaitlyn new the family room was. "Let's go then." He came into the dining room and saw Kaitlyn, his expression immediately becoming harsh. "I thought I told you she _couldn't_ come." He said sternly looking at Daryl.

"Look man, she can pull her own weight. She's pretty good with a bow." Daryl said.

"Besides, I'm not looking for babysitters. There's just strength in numbers you know?" Kaitlyn said, unwilling to just stand by and let two strangers discuss her fate.

"Yeah, well two's a party, but three's a crowd." Merle said, heading out the door. Daryl just rolled his eyes and followed him out the door. Kaitlyn took a deep breath then ran after them. The sun was finally raised and its bright light warmed Kaitlyn's face. She quickly unzipped her jacket and followed after Daryl and Merle. They were standing in the road next to the walker that Daryl had taken out the night before. "So which way do you think we should go?" Merle was saying, the rifle strung over his shoulder.

"I don't know. I don't really know the area." Daryl replied, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"I do." Kaitlyn said as she came up behind them.

"Do you now?" Merle asked, his expression unnerving Kaitlyn.

"Yeah, I'm from around here actually." She replied, crossing her right foot behind her left ankle, a habit of hers.

"Well, when I want help from a woman, I'll let you know." He sneered before turning back to Daryl.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Look little girl-"

"I'm not a little girl." Kaitlyn interjected.

"Ok." Merle said, "Look here bitch, you're lucky I even agreed to let you come. Now you best just go wait over there and let us men figure the hard stuff out." He told her, looking almost surprised that she was challenging him.

"Do you want out of here or not? Because I actually know my way around here and you obviously don't."

"Merle, she's got a point." Daryl said, though he didn't look too excited either.

"Fine then, what's the fastest way to the highway?" Merle asked with his face set in an uninterested and disapproving expression.

"This way." She said taking off in the direction of her parents' home. They lived right off the highway, the third house from the street on the right. "Oh, and Merle," she said, drawing an arrow and placing the nock on the bow string, holding it lightly in place with two fingers, "don't call me a bitch."

Kaitlyn set off at a brisk pace, leading Daryl and Merle towards the highway. Naturally she planned on stopping in on her family. They had to be ok. If they weren't. Kaitlyn stopped herself from thinking such things. She unconsciously quickened the pace and the trio was now jogging down the empty road. They came down to a sharp corner and jogged quickly around it, only to be stopped dead in their tracks.

A huge group of walkers, at least fifty of them, were all standing crowded in the road and in peoples' yards. "Go back, go back." Kaitlyn hissed and the all three ran behind a nearby house, placing their backs against it. "How do we get through that?" Kaitlyn asked quietly.

"We don't." Said Merle.

Kaitlyn leaned around Daryl to look at Merle. "So what now?"

"What's the next quickest way?"

"Back the way we came, I can get us there." Kaitlyn replied, standing up and taking off in the direction they had come from.

As they jogged, Kaitlyn grew evermore aware of her surroundings. From what she could tell no place was safe, not now. They headed up the road and towards the gas station. After about five minutes of jogging, they finally made it. The door was still busted open from where Kaitlyn and the others that had been trapped inside smashed their way out. The tree was still there too, lying in the middle of the road. "There's still water in there, do you guys want to go and get some?" She suggested as she came to a stop near the door.

"Yeah, that'd probably be smart." Daryl said as he led the way in. Kaitlyn brought up the rear, walking backwards and watching out for any walkers. Once inside, she saw Daryl loading a bag with bottles of water. After they'd rested up a bit, they decided to head back out. Kaitlyn quickly pulled her hair into a loose, but clean ponytail and picked up her bow, following the others out of the door. "This way." She said, nodding towards the left. They set out slower this time, walking out towards the road. Then as they walked Kaitlyn thought she heard something. She stopped and turned.

Behind the group were three walkers. Two women, one with greasy black hair, large welts all over her body and a tattered nightgown, and another with now dirty blonde hair and only one arm. The last of the walkers was a man wearing a business suit. He charged at Merle who proceeded to bash the man in the head with the end of his rifle. Daryl raised his crossbow and shot the one-armed woman right between her eyes. But he wasn't fast enough for the second one. Daryl dropped his crossbow and the walker grabbed onto his wrists. "Kaitlyn!" Daryl yelled Kaitlyn froze. The woman opened her mouth wide, wider than is humanly possible. "Kaitlyn, it has to be the brain!" Kaitlyn lifted her bow a little but was still too terrified to do anything. The woman was slowly pulling Daryl's arm towards her stretched jaws, her teeth almost touching right below his wrist. "You promised!" Daryl screamed at her. Kaitlyn's eyes opened wide. She pulled the bow back, aimed, and released.


	3. Chapter 3- The Highway

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! I am glad people are enjoying this story as much as I am!**

The arrow sailed off of the bowstring and hit the woman right through the temple just before she bit down on Daryl's arm. The woman collapsed to the ground, the arrow protruding from her head. From the right came another walker, a tall man with no nose and a big gash in his stomach. This time Kaitlyn didn't wait and fired, hitting the man in the head. He too fell to the ground. Daryl had now picked up his crossbow. He looked down at the woman with disgust. "Stupid bitch." He whispered. Kaitlyn was now shaking; she ran to the side of the road and dropped to her hand and knees. She began to heave, but her stomach was completely empty after the previous night. She hadn't even realized that she was hungry. Carefully, she raised herself back up, stringing the bow over her shoulder again. She rubbed her face slowly, taking a deep breath. She felt a sudden weight on her shoulder causing her to flinch. She turned to see Daryl with his hand on her shoulder. He shoved something into her hand. It was her arrows. "Don't hesitate." He simply said before turning to walk away. "It gets easier." He mumbled.

"What?" Kaitlyn asked, turning to face him, placing the arrows back in her quiver.

"Killing them."

He walked off, but Kaitlyn didn't move. The wind ruffled the strands of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. "Uh, you guys don't think we could grab something to eat before we head out?" She asked, looking at the gas station.

"I guess I'm pretty hungry myself, but let's not take too long." Merle instructed, walking back into the gas station, Kaitlyn and Daryl close behind him. The power had been out for days, so Kaitlyn knew the meat was no good. Up next to the counter was a stand with drawstring bags hanging from it, all in Georgia State blue with the word Georgia printed across the front it white. Down below it were some grey backpacks, the kind you would probably use for hiking or hunting. It was an odd thing for a gas station to have, but, then again, her town was known for its hiking trails. Kaitlyn crouched down and pulled one out. She headed into the food section. She grabbed some cans of soup, some bread, and a box of pudding. There wasn't much else; at least, not a lot that would not spoil soon. Kaitlyn browsed for a while until she decided on a small bag of Doritos and a Snickers bar. She pulled back the wrapper on the Snickers bar and headed back to where Daryl and Merle were standing by the door. "You guys don't happen to have a pot do you?" She slurred as she swallowed a bite.

"Uh, no." Daryl replied, looking at her curiously.

"That's ok, I'm sure I can find one somewhere." She said.

"Well pot or no pot, we need head out." Merle said, looking rather agitated. He stood up and walked out of the little gas station, Daryl right behind him. Kaitlyn started to follow but stopped. She turned and grabbed every pack of gum in the store and stuffed it into the backpack. It was such a futile, almost childish thing, but it just felt right to have something so normal. Plus she had the feeling she may need it later on. As she was heading out, she noticed a group of maps paper clipped together. She grabbed two and also added those to her stash.

She jogged out and caught up with Daryl and Merle and fell into pace with them. They walked in silence the whole day. They did not run in to anymore walkers. The day was much hotter than the previous ones and Kaitlyn soon removed her jacket, and then her tee soon after, folding each and tucking them into her newly acquired backpack. So she just walked on in her tank top, but even then the hot sun beat down on the trio as they walked. But they didn't stop. They walked on and on in the relentless heat. After what felt like an eternity the sun began to set and the air around them cooled. "Gettin' dark. We best be findin' a place to stay for tonight." Merle said, scanning around the area. From behind them, there were moans off in the distance; the sound of it unsettled Kaitlyn. "Quickly." Merle added. They ran up to the nearest house and Daryl jerked at the knob. "Locked." He said. Merle took a step back and kicked the door, but it didn't bunch. Two times. Then three. The door refused to yield however.

"Watch out." Kaitlyn instructed and pushed in front of Merle. She slid her arms out of the backpack straps and let it drop to the ground so she didn't have to pull it over her bow. She then reached in and pulled out the maps. She pulled the paper clip off of each and set to work, Bending one this way, and another that. She then inserted them into the lock and, within moments, had unlocked the door. She grabbed her bag and led the way in. The door was closed and locked back behind them and Kaitlyn looked around. She didn't recognize this house. They headed into the big living room and sat down their bags. "I'll look around down here, you two check up stairs." Merle instructed and walked off towards the next room. Kaitlyn pulled out an arrow and locked the nock onto the string again and took a deep breath.

Daryl lead the way up the stairs, crossbow pointed ahead, Kaitlyn right behind, hand ready to pull the bowstring back if needed. Once they were both up Daryl nodded to the right, then nodded for her to go left. She quickly dipped her head and head left. She got to the first door and carefully, while still holding the bow, turned the doorknob and opened it only a little. She then used her foot to push the door open and jumped in, bow ready. The room was empty though, which she found to be a relief. She carefully opened the next door at the end of the hallway. It was a bathroom, and also empty. She came back to the stairs where Daryl was waiting. He had not found anything either. The two walked back down the stairs and found Merle sitting on the couch, feet up on the coffee table. "Find anything?" he asked.

"Nothing." Daryl replied indifferently as he sat in an arm chair.

The only seat left was the one next to Merle, but Kaitlyn opted for the floor instead. They sat in silence for a while. Daryl checking his crossbow for damage where he had dropped it earlier, Kaitlyn just sitting in the floor with her legs out in front of her, lightly tapping the tops of her feet together and being rewarded with a soft sound when her boots met each other, and Merle on the couch, staring off into space. "So," Kaitlyn started, "why do you guys want to get to the highway so bad?"

Merle looked down at her, eyebrows slightly raised. "We were following it, but we decided to go out into the woods to hunt, but got a little lost. We left all of our stuff up there, and, if we're lucky, it'll still be there when we get back." He explained. "We're gonna have to get an early start tomorrow, so we should probably head off to sleep." He stated more than suggested. Kaitlyn, however, was too drained to argue, or pass up sleep.

She headed up the stairs and into the first room she had checked. There was a bed in the center with tall posts and a mocha-brown bed set. This time she kept all her clothes on, save the jacket and tee still folded in her bag, and climbed into the bed. Even though she was dressed, it was still cold and, though she refused to admit it to herself, she missed the warmth that Daryl had given her the night before. She tossed and turned for a while, eventually finding herself on her back. She closed her eyes and sighed, unsure if she would ever get comfortable. Then the door creaked open slowly, and a dark figure inserted its head. The figure just stood there silently for a moment, looking at the bed, then the door creaked shut and they were gone. One of them had come to check on her, and she wondered who it was. She turned over to her side and looked out the window where the pale light of the moon was leaking in. She sighed and eventually nodded off to sleep.

Her sleep, however, was fitful. Visions of her family, first alive, then dead, then back, flashed through her brain. Then she was surrounded by a group of walkers, all of them attacking her, biting into her flesh. Next she was running through a dark forest, her bow in her hand. Someone joined her. It was Daryl, but hand came out of nowhere and pulled him into the darkness. Kaitlyn kept running and leaped across a small brook. Then a face appeared in front of hers. A face with rotted flesh and teeth. Kaitlyn fell to the ground, the walker bent over and grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her forcefully. "NO!" She cried and smacked the walker right across the face.

She opened her eyes. In front of her, holding her shoulders, and now with a bright red cheek, was Daryl. "What. What's going on?" She asked confused.

"I came to wake you up and you were writhin' all over the place. Then you slapped me."

"Oh, sorry." She said as he released her shoulders.

"We're leavin' soon; breakfast'll be ready in a minute, so come downstairs if you're hungry."

Kaitlyn nodded and Daryl left. She took a minute to fully wake up, trying to shake her nightmare. She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood up slowly. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She looked around the room now illuminated by bright sunlight. She walked over to the full-length mirror that seemed to double as a closet door. Kaitlyn looked at herself for a while and sighed. She reached up and pulled her hair out of the ponytail and it spilled out over her shoulders. She looked at it with dismay. It was starting to curl up at the ends, and she hated her hair curly. She found a hairbrush on the dresser and brushed her hair out then returned to the mirror. Carefully she managed to work her hair into a fishtail braid. She smiled, satisfied and headed over to her bag. She pulled out her bright green shirt and started to pull it over her head but stopped. It was so bright; it would be hard to hide. It may even attract walkers if they saw it from far away. She folded it back and tucked it into the bag.

She walked back to the mirror door and pulled it open. Inside were items of clothing in an array of clothes. She looked through them and decided on a long black tank with a studded cross on the front. But she also grabbed a long-sleeved tee for when it got cold, another pair of jeans and some yoga pants. It was almost irrational, but she had room in her bag, and extra clothes couldn't hurt. She checked all the sizes and, amazingly, they were all almost the exact same size as her. She packed the extras in her bag, put it on, shouldered her bow, put her quiver on and headed out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

She started to head downstairs but decided to check the bathroom first. She opened the door and walked in. It was still empty, but Kaitlyn noticed something she had not before. There was blood. It was everywhere. On the floors and the walls. Kaitlyn took a deep breath and headed to the medicine cabinet. She opened it up and found some Pepto-Bismol, some pain pill, and a bottle of sleeping pills She decided to take them all in the end, stashing them away in her bag. She finally headed down the stairs. She went into the wrong room twice, but eventually found the kitchen where Daryl and Merle were sitting at a small table.

Breakfast, it turned out, was some eggs Merle had found in a chicken coop in the back and cooked with a small fire outside. Kaitlyn sat down and pulled the bread out of her bag. It was a bit smashed, but still edible. She gave everyone a piece then put it back in her bag. The eggs were a bit under cooked, but still good.

"Where'd you get that shirt from?" Daryl asked his mouth full of egg.

"Oh, I found it upstairs. Figured it would be better than that bright green one." Kaitlyn replied as she shoveled her eggs onto her bread, and then folded it to make a sandwich.

Daryl nodded in agreement. They finished breakfast in silence then gathered their things and left. After walking for at least twenty minutes in silence Kaitlyn finally spoke up. "You know, you two aren't exactly friendly are you?"

"Can't really afford to be friendly in a world like this." Merle said.

"No, I think you two were probably like this before."

"Does it matter?" Daryl asked.

"Not really, but just walking in complete silence is sort of awkward, don't you think?

"No." Daryl sped up to walk next to Merle, leaving Kaitlyn alone in the back.

They walked until about noon until they reached the highway. "C'mon." Merle said, jogging down the road. Kaitlyn and Daryl followed behind, their feet making small noises on the pavement that echoed in the empty space around them. "Woo!" Merle exclaimed from ahead. "She's still here!"

Kaitlyn and Daryl approached where Merle was standing by a motorcycle, checking it for keys and gas. "Yup, she'll still run." The motorcycle was one with really tall handles and there were multiple satchels attached to each side.

Kaitlyn smiled at the idea of not having to walk anymore, but a sudden realization hit her. There was no way all three of them could fit comfortably on that motorcycle, there just wasn't enough room. "How are we supposed to all fit on that?" Kaitlyn asked. Merle stood up from what he was looking at and smiled at her.

"I guess we can't, huh?" He smirked. "Well, it was nice knowin' ya." He said as he swung one leg over the motorcycle and revved the engine to life.

"Come on." Kaitlyn said.

"Daryl, you commin' or what?" Merle asked.

Daryl looked up at Kaitlyn. "Oh, come on!" She exasperated. Daryl swung his leg over the motorcycle as well. "You won't really leave me here, will you?" She asked. She was answered by another rev of the engine before the bike took off. Kaitlyn watched as the two disappeared from sight, the sound of the motorcycle vanished soon after.

Suddenly terror overtook Kaitlyn. She was all alone to face this harsh new world. What was she going to do? She hugged her arms around herself, her breathing quickening along with her heart rate. She stumbled back a step, she was going to die. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but a sound in the distance made her snap them back open. From over a hill the motorcycle was zooming back towards Kaitlyn.

Merle directed it around Kaitlyn and stopped right beside her. "Hurry and hop on!" Daryl yelled over the engine as he patted his own lap. She knew she had to make a decision then. She dropped the backpack and pulled out her jacket. She quickly pulled it on then tucked her tee against her stomach and zipped it. She then slipped one of the maps into her back pocket and hopped onto Daryl's lap. He wrapped his arms around her to hold onto Merle and they set off. "Thank you!" She yelled over the roar of the motorcycle as it tore down the highway. "Whatever." Daryl said, and they headed off east to unknown land.

**Kaitlyn's second outfit: www . polyvore (dot com here..) cgi/set?id=61290605 (without the spaces again (: )**


	4. Chapter 4-Entering Atlanta

**A/N: So when writing this I had a song in mind. To listen to said song, go to XFriendsForNeverX's channel on youtube, then go to playlists, favorites, and it's the first one. Sorry this one is so much shorter...**

Cool wind whipped the faces of Kaitlyn, Daryl, and Merle as they sped down the highway on Merle's motorcycle. Kaitlyn had her eyes squinted through the harsh sting of the air. Her braid sailed out behind her. She was sitting with her arms crossed awkwardly as she was squashed between Merle and Daryl. It was starting to get dark, but Merle insisted on driving through the night. Kaitlyn tried to fight it, but she eventually fell asleep, her head sideways on Merle's back. When she awoke Daryl's arms were secured around her so she didn't fall off in her sleep. She sat up slowly and Daryl followed. Kaitlyn was starting to get uncomfortable from sitting on his lap for so long, but she could only imagine what his legs felt like, assuming he could still feel them. She looked around. The world was golden with early sunlight, everything illuminated along with the sparkling mist. They passed through a huge section of hills, and then they hit plains. They were beautiful in the gilded light. It was so very easy to get lost in the beauty and forget the horridness of the world that humanity had been thrust into. They passed a small group of walkers in one of the fields, but nothing that they could not out run.

The rode for the rest of the day until night fell once again. Merle was now too tired to drive straight anymore and they pulled off to the side of the road and set up a small camp with a very small fire, so as not to attract attention. Kaitlyn volunteered to take watch because she was the only one who had gotten sleep previously. Daryl and Merle agreed and lay down next to one another near the small fire. Kaitlyn sat down in front of the fire and crossed her legs. She sat with her bow in hand and an arrow on the bowstring. She was hyperaware of every noise around her. It was the close of her third day in this awful new world, and it was all still very hard to process.

From what Daryl had told her, a massive disease had broken out and dead people started coming back. To get infected you had to be bitten, and he only way to keep from coming back was to have the brain destroyed. None of it made any sense at all. It was like living in a horror movie. Kaitlyn twisted and looked at the sleeping figures on the ground. Merle was now curled on his side, one hand laying on the ground and the other cupping his cheek. Daryl was lying flat on his back, one arm under his head; legs sprawled out in front of him. They both looked so peaceful in their sleep. A bush shook ahead of her and Kaitlyn whipped her head back around, drawing her string back. Out of one of the nearby bushes a dingy-orange ball of fur burst out. It was a fox. Kaitlyn relaxed a little. "Just a fox." She breathed. She stared at the fox and it back at her. She pulled her bow back and released.

Daryl was woken by the bright sunlight hitting his face. He grunted and rolled over before sitting up. He heard a crackling noise and turned to the fire. Kaitlyn was sitting there with the pan that he and Merle had taken along to prepare food in. She was prodding something with a stick. "What're you doing?" He asked climbing up to sit on this toes.

"I caught a fox last night; I thought that it would be good for breakfast." Kaitlyn explained, poking at the fire.

"Did you gut it first?" Daryl asked.

"What I supposed to?" She looked shocked, as if she had just been caught doing something embarrassing.

"Yes!" Daryl exclaimed.

"Dude, I was just joking, of course I did. Sheesh. I told you I'd been hunting before." Kaitlyn told him. She handed him the still hot pan. "I suppose you guys don't have any fine china with you?"

Daryl snorted as he took a mouthful of the meat. Kaitlyn crawled over next to him. She reached in the pan and pulled out a small share for herself. The fox was skinny and near starved, so there was not a lot of meat on it, but there was enough. "Think we should wake him up?" Kaitlyn asked, nodding towards Merle.

"Nah, he'll wake up when he's ready." Daryl told her.

"So, where exactly are we headed?" She asked.

"Atlanta. There's 'posed to be a refugee center there or somthin'." He told her through a mouth full of fox meat.

"Sounds like a good plan." Kaitlyn agreed. The thought of somewhere safe made her smile.

"What'cha got there?" Merle asked huskily as he sat up, rubbing the top of his head.

"Fox." Kaitlyn said as Daryl passed the pan to Merle.

They sat and ate for a few moments in silence before Daryl hopped to his feet. "I gotta take a piss." He announced before heading deeper into the woods.

"Wait so do I." Kaitlyn called, scrambling to her feet. She followed Daryl into the forest.

"What, you want to join me?" He asked.

"Ha, ha, no. "

He just smirked and turned to a nearby tree. Kaitlyn, however, ventured a little farther into the woodland. She finally found a suitable spot. She pulled her pants and panties off completely and sat them to the side. She braced herself with a tree and squatted. She bit her lip as she relieved herself. She found a green leaf that she was hopeful wasn't Poison Ivy and cleaned herself. She stood up, redressed and headed back towards where Daryl had been. He was leaning on a tree, waiting for her, his arms crossed. As she neared him, she saw something move behind him. "Daryl, look out!" She yelled. He spun and caught the walker by the shoulders, but the force knocked them both to the ground. Daryl rolled on top of it and pinned it. It was an older woman, Kaitlyn could tell by the greying hair. "Kaitlyn, take it out!" Daryl yelled. But Kaitlyn didn't have her bow or any arrows. There was no time to run back either. She looked around and saw a large rock. She ran and grabbed it. She had to strain to carry it, but once she got it to the walker, she closed her eyes and dropped it.

She stared wide eyed at the now unmoving figure. It seemed Daryl was right, this time she did not feel the need to wretch. She did not feel guilty, or afraid. "Thanks" Daryl said as he climbed to his feet.

"No problem." Kaitlyn replied. The two headed back to their minicamp. Merle was packing up everything and the fire was out, though still steaming. Kaitlyn got the feeling that Merle had relieved himself as well. Once everything was loaded, they climbed back onto the bike and followed the same routine, ride for two day, stop for one, repeat. Hunting when they could and being careful not to exhaust their water supply.

After about a week they finally made it to Atlanta. Kaitlyn had expected that there would be guards stationed outside if it was a refugee center, but no one was there. Merle steered the motorcycle into the city. The streets were deserted. Military tanks sat unarmed all around and there wasn't a soul to be found. The only sound was the engine of the motorcycle as it reverberated off the empty space around them.

Out of an alleyway came a walker, then another. Then even more, all charging at the noise they'd heard, and what they now recognized as food. Merle swerved and turned the other way, but the walkers were fast. Kaitlyn pulled her bow off her back and loaded it. She aimed at a dangerously close walker and hit it. She took out two more before they were clear. Daryl also took some out himself. Eventually they were clear of the city and headed down a different road.

They followed the winding road for a while until Merle saw somewhere to turn off of the main road. They followed this smaller road for a few minutes before they came into a little clearing. There were a couple of cars and an RV parked there. Merle turned off the bike and they all climbed off. Daryl wobbled when he stood up and started to fall. Kaitlyn caught his arm and helped him up. "You alright?" She asked as he gained his footing.

"Yeah, my legs were just asleep." He assured her.

"Oh, sorry." She apologized. He just waved her off and limped after Merle.

"Looks like nobody's home." He observed.

"That's where you're wrong." A voice said from the shadows.

A group of men walked out, all with guns aimed at them. "Who are you?" Said a stocky one with black hair.

Daryl and Merle didn't make a move to talk so Kaitlyn stepped forward. "I'm Kaitlyn. And this is Daryl, and Merle." She said gesturing to her companions. "We don't mean any harm. We were just in Atlanta, but it's been over run."

"Yeah, we know, that's where we originally planned on going." The black haired man said. He lowered his gun and the others followed him. He was obviously the leader. "I'm Shane." He introduced himself.

"This is Dale." He said, pointing to an older man in a fishing cap who smiled at the group. "Here is T-Dog." A black man nodded at them. Kaitlyn noticed the unhappy looks from the Dixons from the corner of her eyes and wondered what their problem was. She would ask them later. "Here we have Morales." He motioned to a Hispanic man. "You can meet the other members of the camp later." He told them.

"Lucky for you, we've got an extra tent set up over there. He pointed at a tent on the edge of the camp. "You folks look tired. Go rest up and we'll see you in the morning." He instructed. Exhausted from travel the three could not refuse a nice sleep.

The all walked over to the tent together and climbed in. There would be enough room for them all, but barely. They got themselves situated and when all was said and done, Daryl laid in the middle with Merle and Kaitlyn on either side of him. Kaitlyn was to his right. She had removed her jacket and closed her eyes. There was no blanket in there, but it was warm enough. Soon enough they had all drifted off to sleep, the prospect of other people and an actual camp soothed some minds, but worried others.


	5. Chapter 5-Camp Life Begins

**A/N: Ok, so here is chapter five. I'll be taking the weekend off, so no new chapter until monday. I really hope everyone reading has been enjoying. I've been curious as to wether or not I've been making Darly cold enough with out having him come off as shy. Please leave reveiws and advice! I really appreciate anyone and everyone who has been reading this story so far!**

When Kaitlyn woke in the morning she was laying alone in the tent. She could tell that it was probably close to noon because the sun was so bright outside. She sat up and yawned, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back. She ran her hands over her head and felt that her braid had begun to fall out. She quickly undid it and pulled it into a sloppy ponytail. She then stood up, slipped her boots on and then exited the tent.

Her boots crunched on the gravel as she walked. The previously empty camp was now abuzz with almost twenty people, including three children, two girls and a boy, all playing together. There was a group of women sitting and talking together by a fire pit, the men were over by the RV discussing something. Daryl and Merle were sitting off alone in a far corner near Merle's motorcycle. Kaitlyn started to head towards them when she noticed a girl about her age sitting alone, her elbows on her knees, her face resting in her hands. She had hair a little longer than her shoulders and it was medium brown. She was wearing a grey and white plaid tee-shirt and a pair of white jeans. Kaitlyn waved to Merle and Daryl who both gave a feeble raise of the hand to acknowledge her. Instead Kaitlyn walked and sat down next to the girl.

"Hi, I'm Kaitlyn." She said, extending her hand.

The girl turned sharply then relaxed. "I'm Bethany. You scared me." She replied, taking Kaitlyn's offered hand.

"Nice to meet you." Kaitlyn said.

"Yeah, when did you get here?" Bethany asked curiously, straightening up on the log she was sitting on.

"Oh, last night. I got here with those two, obviously social fellas over there." She pointed at Daryl and Merle over her shoulder with her thumb and snorted.

Bethany gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I just arrived yesterday morning and didn't see you, so I was curious."

"Yeah, we planned on going to Atlanta, but that didn't work out."

"That's where we were heading!" Bethany exclaimed.

"We? So you're here with someone else?"

"Mhm," Bethany shook her head. "My friend Brittany."

As if on cue a girl with long dark brown hair climbed from one of the tents, rolling her neck as if to work out a kink, and sighed lightly. She was wearing a black and white striped tank top and jean shorts. She had on a pair of bright blue sunglasses and blue converse. She scanned the camp and located Bethany and strode over towards her. "Sparky, what's up girl?" She asked, sitting cross-legged in front of Kaitlyn and Bethany.

"Good morning Brittany." Bethany said, rolling her eyes but smiling a bit.

"And who is this?" Brittany asked looking to Kaitlyn.

"I'm Kaitlyn, nice to meet you."

"Brittany."

"Hey." A voiced sounded behind Kaitlyn as a hand laid itself on her shoulder. She looked up to see Daryl looking down at her.

"Oh, good morning." She said brightly.

"One of the guys here's organizing a hunting party and me and Merle were gonna go with them." He explained.

"Ok. Well, be careful." She smiled and patted his hand.

"Yeah yeah." He said walking off towards a small group of men, including two of the men that they had met the night before.

She turned back only to see Brittany smirking up at her.

"What?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Who was that?" Brittany inquired.

"Oh, that was just Daryl." Kaitlyn replied, but Brittany's mischievous look didn't fade.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

"What? No, I just met him a week ago."

"Do you want him to be your boyfriend?"

"What? I don't know I hardly even know him?"

"Do you think he's cute?"

"I-I don't know!"

"So you think he's ugly?"

"I never said that!"

"So then you think he's hot?"

"Brittany stop you're scaring her!" Bethany interjected. Kaitlyn gave her a thankful look.

"Oh, sorry." Brittany muttered, looking a bit annoyed.

The girls sat around and talked for a while. Kaitlyn learned that they all were the same age and that Brittany and Bethany, or Sparky as her nickname was, went to the private High school that was in the same city as Kaitlyn's. Eventually everyone in the made their way over and introduced themselves; Two sisters, Amy and Andrea; Ed, Carol, and their daughter Sophia; A woman named Jacquie; a man named Jim; Lori Grimes and her son Carl.

As Kaitlyn and Bethany and Sparky conversed, a cry sounded from towards the woods. "Sophia?" Carol yelled, frightened. The little blonde girl came running from the woods. "Mommy, mommy!" She yelped. "There's some in the woods!" Chaos ensued, with all of the men out hunting or doing something, the women had no one to protect them. Or so they thought. As everyone else began to crowd together around near the RV Kaitlyn ran back to the tent she was sharing with Daryl and Merle. She grabbed her bow and her quiver, throwing it over her shoulder. She dashed back out of the tent and waited in the center of camp, near the now glowing small fire. She readied her arrow and waited. "Kaitlyn, what are you doing, come here!" Sparky yelled.

"No, it's fine, I got this!" She yelled back.

She pulled the bowstring back as the first of the walkers emerged. It was a tall black man with no shirt and a huge gash running down his entire torso. Kaitlyn took a deep breath, aimed and fired. She hit her mark just as two more walkers emerged. She reached over her shoulder, pulled out an arrow and hit the first one, then the second. She readied another arrow and waited, but no more came. She shouldered her bow and turned to the group of women. "I think I got them all." She called. A crashing noise from the forest told her different. A huge walker came from the trees and charged her. She squealed and squeezed her eyes closed. A huge weight from her left sent her staggering. She lost her footing and fell onto her elbows. She let out a small whine of pain as she hit the bruise left from Daryl earlier that week.

Kaitlyn opened her eyes to see Daryl grappling with the walker. He brought it to its knees and whipped around behind it then put it in a choke hold. Its teeth were precariously close to his arm. "A little help here please!" He shouted. Kaitlyn sat up, grabbed an arrow and fired. The walker stopped struggling. Daryl released his grip and it collapsed to the ground. He stood over the walker for a moment, breathing heavily. He then walked over to where Kaitlyn sat. He proffered his hand and Kaitlyn took it gratefully. "You alright?" He asked as he pulled her to her feet.

"Yeah, you?" She asked, rubbing her now sore again elbow. Daryl nodded.

"What happened here?" The man with the black hair, Shane, asked walking into the camp and taking in the dead walkers.

"Uh, Sophia ran into some walkers in the forest." Carol said, holding the young girl close to her.

"Is everyone alright?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, we're-we're all fine." Lori told him.

"Looks like you got back just in time Daryl, good job." He said.

"Oh, I didn't kill them." Daryl said rolling his shoulders backwards.

"Then who took them out?" Shane asked.

"That would be me." Kaitlyn replied, stepping out from behind Daryl.

"You took them all out, by yourself?"

"Um, yes. Is that a problem?" Kaitlyn asked.

"No. No. You're a good shot though. Right in the forehead every time." He said and lightly kicked one of the walker's heads. "All right people, let's get this cleaned up and then everyone should probably head off to bed." He instructed.

Daryl, Merle, Kaitlyn, Shane and T-Dog all helped to remove the walkers from the camp into a fire in a little clearing near the camp. Afterwards everyone did go to sleep. Shane provided Kaitlyn, Daryl, and Merle with a blanket each. Kaitlyn fell asleep fairly easily but woke at some early hour of the morning. After trying to fall back asleep for a while, Kaitlyn eventually gave up. She sat up and carefully climbed around the edge of the tent so as not to step on anyone, slipped into her boots, and grabbed her bow and quiver, just in case.

After carefully unzipping then zipping the tent Kaitlyn was finally free. She headed towards where she knew the small blaze was still burning. A figure was sitting in a chair in front of the dying flames. After squinting her eyes she realized it was Daryl. She crept carefully over to where he sat and leaned close to his ear. "Couldn't sleep either huh?" She asked.

He jumped and whipped around to face her.

"Damn it, you scared the hell outta me." He snapped.

"Oh, did I? I'm so sorry." She said sarcastically, pulling up a chair close to his and then sitting down, laying her bow and quiver next to her. "How long have you been out here?"

"A while."

They set in silence for a while, just staring at the fading fire. "Thanks." Kaitlyn finally spoke up.

"For what?"

"Helping me out earlier, you seem to do that a lot." She said.

"Oh." He said.

Kaitlyn readjusted herself on her seat so that she was facing Daryl. "Why? Do you keep saving me I mean; you don't even seem to like me. At all."

Daryl sighed. "I wouldn't say I don't like you." He said.

"So you just don't like anyone? You know, you and Merle aren't very sociable."

"Yeah, so? I'm surprised we're even still in this place." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you got a bunch of women and children, not to mention that black guy, what's his face."

"What? Daryl that's so racist!"

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"I don't know everything? My god, you and your brother are so backwards!"

"I don't need any criticism from you, stupid bitch!"

They sat in silence again, now both glaring into the fire, the tension and anger almost enough to start the fire back. They were both sitting with their arms crossed and scowls on their faces.

"I'm sorry." Daryl said first, turning from the fire to Kaitlyn.

"Me too." Kaitlyn apologized turning her gaze to him as well. They held one another's gaze for a moment the both turned away, laughing nervously.

"So, friends?" Kaitlyn asked, offering her hand.

"Friends." Daryl agreed, taking her hand and shaking it.

After that they really hit it off. Finding out the simple things about each other. Kaitlyn's birthday was in April, his in June. They both liked the same kind of music. They told stories and cracked jokes, Daryl making one so funny that Kaitlyn could not breathe from laughing so hard.

Kaitlyn let out a long sigh. "You know what would be good right now?"

"What?"

"A nice, icecold beer."

"What? There's no way you're old enough to drink."

"Oh Daryl, don't even try and pretend you were twenty-one when you first drank. Besides, I am twenty-two thank you very much."

"Really?"

"No, I just made that up. Yes really. Wait, how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

They began to calm down as time passed and when the sun came up they were both asleep in their chairs. Kaitlyn's head on Daryl's shoulder and Daryl's head resting on hers.

"Hey. Hey wake up." Kaitlyn opened her eyes to see Brittany crouched in front of her, snapping her fingers in Kaitlyn's face.

"Mhhmm what?" Kaitlyn asked, ignoring the impish look on Brittany's face.

"Help me make breakfast?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, ok." Kaitlyn replied. "Daryl, Daryl." She prodded Daryl's side with her finger. "Fine then." She carefully climbed from under Daryl and tried to arrange his head in as comfortable a position she could find. She then set to helping Brittany. The hunting party had brought back some squirrels and someone had already skinned and gutted them. Kaitlyn wondered if it was Daryl.

"So…" Brittany started.

"Not this again please. Nothing happened."

"What do you mean 'nothing happened' I heard you two out here last night having fun."

"Oh, did we wake you?"

"No, I just heard you in my sleep."

"Be nice Bert." Sparky said as she walked up to the two girls.

"Ok, Ok. I'm only teasing ya'" Brittany said.

The higher the sun rose the more people emerged and eventually everyone was up. No one else seemed to have been disturbed by Kaitlyn and Daryl during the night, or if they did they didn't say anything. And, when Daryl finally woke, he took his portion of breakfast and came to sit with Kaitlyn. Though he ate in silence, Kaitlyn was sure that this was a big step for him.

**A/N2: So, I couldn't find what Daryl's actual age was, so I just kind of mad somthing up, LOL.**


	6. Chapter 6- Prom

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reveiwed and or followed my story! For a playist of the songs mentioned in this chapter go to XFriendsForNeverX Youtube channel playlists and find Party Mix. As for outfits the website is Polyvore and the username is koemioshiro, outfits are labeld by person's name! Hope you enjoy, I tried to make this one longer, hope you like it!**

After close to a month in the camp, everyone was getting settled in. Though Daryl and Merle were still openly hostile to the group, they both seemed to be warming up to Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn and Daryl had continued their late night meetings, always falling asleep by the dying fire. Oddly enough, they seemed to have quite a lot in common. They spent their nights laughing, sometimes to the point of crying. However, during the day or when others were around, Daryl hardly even spoke to her. Kaitlyn had not quite figured it out yet; why he was so open when they were alone, but with others he was so closed. No one ever questioned them; even Brittany let it go eventually. Camp life was simple enough. It wasn't exactly five star living, but it was living. However, they were beginning to run low on supplies and even with what Glenn, a young Asian man, brought back from his careful missions into Atlanta. Early one morning Kaitlyn overheard all the men talking.

"I think there's a residential area here," Shane said as he pointed to a spot on the map Kaitlyn had brought back with her. "I'm not sure how safe it is, but there has to be something there right?"

"Well, who would we send? We need everyone here." Dale, the older man who was usually on watch from the top of the RV, pointed out.

"Me and Merle could go." Daryl volunteered.

"No, we need at least one of you here to hunt." Shane told him, shaking his head.

"I can go with him." Kaitlyn said walking to the group, hands clasped behind her back.

"Look, no offense, but I don't really think you'd be…Cut out for this mission." Shane told her waving her off.

"What is that supposed to mean." Kaitlyn pressed, annoyed to just be shunned away.

"Ok, I tried to be nice about this. You're a woman alright? And I can't help but think a woman would just slow the mission down." Shane explained.

"I think I've more than proved that I'm not 'just a woman'," Kaitlyn countered. "You know I can hunt, and I've killed more than my fair share of walkers. Besides," She walked over and pointed to the place Shane had earlier indicated. "I know my way around that place, one of my best friends live there."

Shane placed his hands on his hips and shook his head at the ground. "Alright," he finally said "You can go."

"Cool. When do we leave?" She asked.

"How about right now?" T-dog suggested. "We need those supplies as soon as possible."

"Yeah, you should probably head out soon." Shane said.

"I'll go get my bow." Kaitlyn turned on her heels and jogged back to the tent. She grabbed her bow and her quiver. She looked up and noticed Daryl's crossbow and quiver lying in the corner. She grabbed it as well and headed back out of the tent. She stepped out of the tent trying to balance all of the things in her hands. She climbed out but two steps later she smacked into something and almost dropped it all. "Hey watch where you're going. Oh it's you." She said to Daryl as she handed him his things. "Here, I got it for you."

"Thanks." He mumbled and turned away.

They walked together back to the group. "So, how're we getting there?" Daryl asked as he slung his quiver and crossbow over his shoulder. He looked at Merle's parked motorcycle across the clearing.

"Not happening." Merle said, shaking his head.

"You guys can just take one of the cars that Dale and Jim haven't gutted yet." Shane told them pointing to a shiny red Chevy Camaro sitting parked by itself.

"This is an awfully nice car." Kaitlyn commented.

"Yeah, well you take what you get." Shane said. "Well, you best head off now."

Kaitlyn and Daryl nodded. They both headed off towards the car. They both removed their weapons and sat them in the back seat. They decided on Daryl driving and headed off. It was after noon when they set out and the drive would be about two hours long. Neither Kaitlyn nor Daryl bothered with their seatbelts and Kaitlyn sat with her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. They drove with the windows down and the cool wind felt refreshing on Kaitlyn's face. Daryl drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other out the window resting on the roof, lightly tapping it rhythmically. It was almost surreal to Kaitlyn, just sitting in a car, heading down the road. It was quiet though, and Kaitlyn was left to her own thoughts. She had been having nightmares. Mainly about her family and all of the terrible possibilities of what had happened to them. She had tried not to think about it, but hours of sitting in silence brought out her deepest thoughts. She began to subconsciously bite at her lip. She bit down harder then she meant to and broke the skin. "Ow." She whispered, licking some of the blood off of her lip.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Oh, I just bit my lip a little hard." She replied and sighed.

"So, what're you so worried about over there?" He asked.

"Huh, oh it's nothing." She told him, shaking her head lightly.

"It's somthin'." He said turning to look at her. "C'mon, you can tell me." He urged.

Kaitlyn let out another sigh and caved. "It's just my family- take that right over there- I'm just worried about them, you know? I have no clue what happened to them." She paused and turned to Daryl. "What if they're dead?"

"They're not dead." He told her simply.

The conversation ended as they reached the neighborhood they had come to check out. They stopped from house to house, salvaging anything and everything they could find. They didn't run in to any walkers and they only went about halfway through the small vicinity before it became dark outside. Daryl pulled the car into an empty driveway of a house. They grabbed their weapons and headed inside. Daryl went first. The house was two stories with dark brown brick on the outside. Daryl peeked through the window on the door then looked to Kaitlyn. She nodded that she was ready and he opened the door. He pointed his crossbow forward and stepped in; Kaitlyn pulled back her bow and followed.

They came in directly onto a wooden stair case with one set leading up, the other down. Daryl motioned that he would take the upstairs. Kaitlyn nodded in agreement and headed down the stairs. She walked carefully, trying to prevent the stairs from creaking underfoot. The stairs led to a door that seemed to lead to the garage on the left and opened into a basement on the right. It was dark save the moonlight. Kaitlyn carefully stepped into the carpeted basement. She scanned around and saw the room was empty. Off to the side was another opening in the wall that led to a laundry room with a door that opened to a bathroom. Once again both were empty. Kaitlyn headed off to the garage, satisfied with her search in the basement. She carefully opened the screen door and pushed through. As she entered the garage she heard the whistle from Daryl that the upstairs was good, she whistled in return. She cautiously examined the garage and found nothing. As she was heading out she noticed something in the corner. Three large metal contraptions were sitting to the side. Her eyes lit up. "Daryl!" She called. She heard him running down the stairs and he burst into the garage, cross bow at the ready.

"Calm your jets." She said laughing. "Here, look what I found."

"Are those?"

"Yup, generators." She said. Next to the three generators, more than enough to charge the whole house, were multiple gasoline canisters. "Why would anyone leave here?" She wondered aloud.

"Who cares?" Daryl asked as he flipped one of the generators on and it roared to life. He flipped the other two on and led the way back into the house. They entered the basement and Daryl flipped the nearest light switch and the basement was flooded with bright yellow light. They smiled at each other excitedly. They headed upstairs. On the right was the living room. It was spacious and a flat screen television sat on a T.V stand near banner. A couch and two matching armchairs were on the fall wall and a glass coffee table was situated in the center of the room. Connected to the living room was the kitchen. To the left was a hallway with four doors. Kaitlyn headed into the kitchen and sat her bow on the table. She took a quick look around. She went to the nearest cabinet and found it full of food, as was all the others. She opened the refrigerator to see it was still cold. She cocked her head curiously then noticed the wires running from the back. She followed them over to the door glass double doors that lead to the elevated back porch. She saw multiple solar panels on the deck.

"This place is so ideal. Wonder why who ever lived here left?"

"Maybe they didn't choose to." Daryl said, studying a picture of two young girls hugging one another.

"Hm, maybe. But if this place is so self-sufficient, I wonder if they have their own water supply or something." Kaitlyn walked over to the sink and took a deep breath. She turned the knob and was rewarded with a steady stream of water. She turned the water off then faced Daryl, her eyes wild with excitement. "Was there a bathroom upstairs?"

"Yeah." He said, his own eyes looking enthusiastic.

"Ok, you take that one; I'll take the one downstairs. Oh, and we may be able to wash our clothes. But we'll need something to wear in the meantime." They both headed down the hallway and went into separate rooms. The room Kaitlyn entered was definitely a teenage girl's room. It looked as if two shared the room, judging by the bunk beds. There was a cd player sitting in the floor with a CD titled "Party Mix" scrawled in Sharpie sitting next to it. The walls were painted zebra print and pictures were plastered all over the walls. On the dresser was a nice professional camera. Kaitlyn curiously picked it up and examined it then placed it back on the dresser. She headed over to a sliding door and opened it. Inside were lots of shirts, skirts and dresses, no pants however. She sighed and started to sort through it all, most of it was a size or two too small. The only thing that was her size was a round neck dress with cascading ruffles. It was red with some right at the top. She pulled it out and then headed to the drawers and shuffled through them until she found some panties. She felt weird going through someone else's things, but knew it had to be done. She pulled a pair out and then folded them and the dress over her arm. She exited the room at the same time as Daryl, who also had some clothes. She smiled and headed down the stairs. "Drop your clothes over the banister and I'll throw them in the wash." She called over her shoulder.

She waited at the bottom of the stairs until Daryl dropped his cutoff plaid shirt, jeans, socks and underwear. Kaitlyn gathered his things and headed to the laundry room. She loaded Daryl's things in and then sat her dress and panties on the dryer. She quickly slipped out of her own clothes and added them to the mix. She crossed her fingers and pressed the start button. Water poured into the washer and Kaitlyn smiled in relief. She added detergent and closed the top and then gathered her things and headed into the bathroom.

She sat her things on the counter and set out to look for washcloths. She found them, as well as towels in a cabinet. She grabbed one of each and then walked over to the small shower in the left corner. She could hear Daryl's shower running overhead and smiled. She turned her own shower on and pushed the knob almost as far as it went. She hoped that the water would heat up. When steam began to pour out over the top of the shower, Kaitlyn knew she was successful. She smile and hopped in. The water was so hot that it burned Kaitlyn's skin but she didn't care. She could feel a month of dirt and oil sliding off her skin. She grabbed some shampoo labeled Ocean Breeze and squeezed half of the bottle into her hair. She massaged it in for a while and then rinsed it thoroughly. She repeated this with conditioner. She then grabbed a bar of soap and worked it around the washcloth until it was good and soapy and then scrubbed all of the dirt off of herself. She stayed in the water a while longer, just enjoying it, until the hot water ran out and she was forced to retire.

She stepped out and toweled herself off. She looked in the mirror and smirked at her light red skin. She looked around the room curiously and found a hair dryer. She smiled and plugged it up. She quickly dried her hair. She looked back in the mirror. Her hair wasn't completely dry, but it wasn't soaked. She pulled on the panties then slipped the dress over her head. It fell just above her knees, its ruffles tickling her legs. She turned in the mirror to get a full view of the dress and smiled.

Kaitlyn exited the bathroom into the laundry room. It was very quiet. The washer was finished, so Kaitlyn transferred everything to the dryer and then headed up the stairs. Her still damp feet left foggy footprints on the wood as she padded quickly towards the kitchen. When she came in she found Daryl leaning with his back to her and his elbows on the bar. "Hey." She said sitting down at one of the chairs at the counter behind Daryl. He turned to her and smiled. "Here," He said sliding a cold beer to her across the counter.

"Awesome." Kaitlyn said as she twisted the cap off.

"Nice dress." Daryl smirked.

"Shut up, it's all there was." She snapped taking in Daryl's baggy white tee and jeans held up with a belt.

"A bit fancy though, don't you think?"

Kaitlyn threw the cap to her beer at him. "You think this is fancy? You should've seen my prom dress. It was bit overkill if you ask me, but my mother insisted I go all out for senior year." She took a sip. "What about you? What did your prom dress look like?"

"Ha ha, funny." Daryl said as he took a sip of his own beer. "I didn't actually go to my prom."

"Really?" Kaitlyn asked, taking another swig.

"Really." Daryl said, finishing off his beer and grabbing another from the refrigerator.

"I have an idea, wait right here." She instructed finishing off her beer and dashing off to the room where she found her dress. She grabbed the CD player and Cd. She ran back to the living room and located an outlet. "What are you doing?" Daryl called from the kitchen.

"Stay in there!" Kaitlyn yelled back as she plugged the CD player into the wall. She then found a lamp and placed it on the coffee table. She turned it on then scurried around the house flipping off all the lights. She ran into the room where the CD player had been, grabbed the camera and slung it around her neck. She then headed back into the dark living room. She waited by the CD player with her finger on the play button. "Ok, you can come now, but turn the light off." She called. "And bring all the beer." She added.

As soon as she saw Daryl's figure emerge in the darkness she hit the play button. David Guetta's "Sexy Chick" Began to play. Kaitlyn turned the sound all the way up and rose. "What the hell?" Daryl called over the loud music.

"Welcome to prom!" Kaitlyn called back. Daryl sat the case of beer on one of the arm chairs.

"Are we really going to do this?" He yelled.

"Yes!"

"Well then I'm going to need another one of these." He pulled out a beer.

"Toss me one!" Kaitlyn shouted. He did and she caught it and opened it. She took a big swig and picked up the camera from her neck. She made her way to Daryl and pointed the camera at the two of them. "Say cheese!" She pressed the button and the camera's blinding flash stung Kaitlyn's eyes for a moment. Even though Daryl wasn't smiling the picture wasn't half bad. Kaitlyn sat the camera on one of the end tables and pulled Daryl towards the center of the floor. "No, I'm good." He yelled.

"Aw c'mon, it's prom!" Kaitlyn shouted.

"I. I don't dance." Daryl called

"Well you do now!" Kaitlyn called back.

At first Daryl refused, but, a few beers later, he obliged. They danced for hours, more goofing off then actually dancing. They ran around, drank and took pictures. They danced to songs like; The Kings of Leon "Sex on Fire"; "Back in Time" by Pitbul; Darude's "Sandstorm"; "Where Have You Been" by Rihanna; and more. Eventually though, a slow song came on. It was "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. They stepped close together and Kaitlyn reached up to wrap her arms around Daryl's neck. He lightly placed his hands on her hips and they swayed back and forth together to the slow song. "So," Daryl said looking into Kaitlyn's eyes curiously "is prom actually this fun, because if it is then I sure missed out."

"No, not really, this was a hell of a lot more fun." Kaitlyn said.

They didn't talk for after that. They just rocked in place. Slowly Daryl's hands left Kaitlyn's hips and wrapped around her lower back instead. They looked into one another's eyes and Daryl offered a friendly smile. Kaitlyn began to subconsciously bite her lip again. As she did so she slipped and reopened the cut from earlier. "Ow." She whispered again, but continued to sway. Daryl removed one of his hands and gingerly wiped the blood from Kaitlyn's lip. His thumb remained at the corner of her mouth and his hand cupped her cheek. He tilted her head up slightly and looked into her eyes. Then the song changed and The Wanted's "Chasing the Sun" began to play. They awkwardly broke apart and went to sit on the couch. They both knocked back a couple more beers and then decided to turn in. Kaitlyn turned off the CD player and camera. They both chose a room to sleep in and headed off to bed. Kaitlyn lay down and fell asleep with the lingering feeling of Daryl's hand on her cheek.


	7. Chapter 7-Return to Atlanta

**A/N: Sorry that this one is a little shorter!**

When Daryl woke up the next morning he was sprawled out on the queen sized bed in the bedroom of the abandoned house that he and Kaitlyn had spent the night in. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. He threw off the blanket and stood up. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. His head ached slightly from the night before and he started to head out of the room when he noticed his clothes all folded neatly in a pile on the dresser. He quickly changed and headed out of the room. He could smell something cooking as soon as he stepped into the hallway. He headed into the kitchen to see Kaitlyn sitting at the bar, an empty plate in front of her. She looked up as he entered and smiled. "I made bacon." She said triumphantly nodding towards a skillet. Daryl grabbed it off the stove and didn't as much as bother with a fork or plate. Kaitlyn was back in her black tank top, black, grey, and pink jacket, and jeans. The jacket was zipped and on the top of her head was a pair of white sunglasses. "You better eat up, we need to leave soon." She told him, slipping off of her chair, and her feet already in her boots making a quiet thump as she headed out of the kitchen. "Meet me downstairs." She called over her shoulder.

Daryl finished the bacon off and left the skillet on the counter. He double checked the upstairs to make sure they weren't forgetting anything. After looking around he grabbed his crossbow and headed towards the stairs. Kaitlyn was waiting at the bottom, leaning against the door, playing with some device in her hand. "What's that?" Daryl asked.

"Huh? Oh it's an iPhone. I found it upstairs and charged it this morning. I was thinking we may be able to hook it up to the car and listen to music that way." She said as she slipped it into her back pocket where the map was also stashed.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Kaitlyn nodded. Daryl opened the door and stepped outside, Kaitlyn right behind him. The yard, however, was full of walkers and at least a hundred of them had to be congregated in the area. "Go back." Daryl hissed and they both ran back into the house, quietly closing the door behind them.

"I thought this place was abandoned!" Kaitlyn whispered.

"Yeah, apparently not." Daryl replied, loading his crossbow.

"Do you think the music last night attracted them?" Kaitlyn asked, following his lead and preparing her own bow.

"Doesn't matter. Our only chance is to make a run for it. Only shoot if you have too." He told her. She looked scared but nodded.

Daryl opened the door and stepped out carefully. The car had to be at least twenty feet away. They carefully crept down the stairs, placing one foot in front of the other with careful precision. They made it about halfway down before they were noticed. "Run!" Daryl yelled. They both dashed towards the car. They tried to stay close but a large group of walkers cut them off not even five feet in. Daryl went right and Kaitlyn left. "Daryl!" She shouted.

"Catch!" He yelled and through her the keys to the car. "Hey! Hey!" He called, waving his hands trying to attract the walkers away from Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn caught the keys and dashed for the car. She climbed in and shut the door. The walkers were on her immediately, banging on the windows. "Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" She shouted, hitting the steering wheel with her palm with each curse. She shoved the keys into the ignition and started the car. She threw it into reverse and whipped it out of the driveway.

Daryl ran as fast as he could from the walkers. He shot one, and then two, in the head, but the group was still closing in on him. Suddenly the screeching of tires brought the walkers attention away from Daryl. The red Camaro plowed through them and skidded sideways to a stop beside Daryl. He opened the door and jumped in. Kaitlyn didn't even wait for him to close the door before taking off, turning the car hard to get headed back the right way. She maneuvered the car around objects and through walkers with almost expert precision. As they approached their turn off, however, they found it blocked.

Kaitlyn slammed the brakes on and turned the wheel sharply. The tires smoked and screeched as they turned. "We're going to have to go the other way!" Kaitlyn yelled. She pressed the gas pedal down as far as it would go and soon enough they had sped away from the walkers. "That was a close one, you ok?" Kaitlyn asked as she slowed the car down a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, throwing his crossbow into the back where Kaitlyn's bow already sat. "You?"

"Yeah." She reached in her back pocket and pulled out the iPhone and cord. "Still want to listen?"

"Sure." Daryl said, taking the phone and cord from Kaitlyn's hand. He confusedly fought with it for a moment before finally getting everything hooked up. "How do I work this thing?" He asked, trying to turn it on.

"Give it here." Kaitlyn smiled and rolled her eyes. She pressed the home button, slid the unlock bar across the screen, and then accessed the music app. "Here," She said, handing Daryl the phone. "Just scroll down and pick out a song. I don't really know what all is on there."

There turned out to be a wide variety of music. From old songs, as far as the sixties, to newer ones. He and Kaitlyn rode with the windows down again, singing the words to songs they knew. As they neared camp, however, they switched the radio off. It was night by the time they pulled into camp. The fire was dying as they stepped out of the car and the camp was deserted save a few people gathered by the RV. Kaitlyn and Daryl approached slowly, weariness dragging at their every step. Shane turned at the sound of their approach. "Your back. Did you get anything valuable?" He asked.

"Yeah, everything's in the trunk." Daryl told him. Merle, who was standing a bit offset from the group nodded to acknowledge Daryl who nodded back.

"So, what's going on here?" Kaitlyn said looking around the group. It was Shane, Merle, Brittany and Bethany, Andrea, T-dog, and Glenn.

"We're trying to organize a group trip into Atlanta." Shane said.

"Which is a bad idea..." Glenn muttered under his breath.

"Ok, so, when are we leaving?" Kaitlyn asked, straightening up.

"Look you just got back, are you sure you want to go on another trip so soon?" Shane asked.

"Yes." Kaitlyn replied confidently.

"Then I'm going too." Daryl said.

"No, you stay, get your rest and then you can go hunt." Kaitlyn told him.

"Do you really think I'd let you go alone?" Daryl asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be with Merle." She told him, gesturing to his brother.

"Fine then, I'm going to sleep." Daryl said. As he walked past Merle he placed his hand on his shoulder and leaned close to his ear.

"Watch out for her, got it?"

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on 'er." Merle assured him.

"So, when do we leave?" Kaitlyn asked.

"In the morning." Shane told her.

She nodded and fought down a yawn. "Do you want to sleep in our tent?" Sparky asked. "That way we can all get up together and you won't bother Daryl?"

"Yeah, sure." Kaitlyn told her. They all headed to the tent and Kaitlyn immediately fell asleep.

The next morning she was awoken by Brittany gently shaking her awake. She climbed out of the tent and met the rest of the group. Brittany was standing with a tomahawk looped into her belt and Sparky had a baseball bat slung over one of her shoulders. "That's everyone?" Glenn asked.

"I think so." T-dog said.

"Is Daryl up yet?" Kaitlyn asked Merle who was once again standing off from the rest of the group.

"He was, but I've got no clue where he went." Merle told her. She sighed lightly, she had hoped to tell him goodbye.

"Lets go." Glenn said. They then set off down the road towards Atlanta on foot. It wasn't too long of a walk and they made it in about half a day.

When they entered the city, they stayed close to the walls and traveled as silently as possible. They ran into one walker but Brittany took it out easily with her tomahawk. They ran quietly behind Glenn who led the way. Kaitlyn thought it was odd that they had only seen one walker when the place seemed to be overrun when she, Daryl, and Merle had came. Then they came. Tons of them out of allyways and in cars. "This way." Glenn called and lead them down a little back road. "In here!" he opened a door and everyone filed in. They could hear the walkers outside as they surrounded them.

"Oh no!" Andrea cried. "We're trapped."

"What're we going to do?" Sparky asked.

"I. I don't know, wait it out I guess." Glenn said.

They headed farther into the building and found out that it was a department store. They settled down in the clothes. Kaitlyn, Sparky, and Brittany all sat down together. "Think we'll be here long?" Brittany asked.

"I hope not." Kaitlyn said.


	8. Chapter 8-New guy

**A/N: WARNING! I had to use a word that some may find offensive for this chapter because that was the way that original conversation went, and I couldn't find anything to change it to. So if it offends you, I am truley sorry! I know this chapter is probably boring, sorry about that...**

It had been three days since their arrival in Atlanta and the group was growing desperate. Everyone was dispersed throughout the department store, just waiting for an opportunity to escape. There had been none so far. Glenn had left a few hours ago to try and find some food or a way out. Kaitlyn was standing in the middle of the store, finishing the protein bar she had had. They only had a few and they had been split up. One was left, however. Kaitlyn picked it up and headed to the back of the room where Merle sat up against the wall. "Here" She said, crouching down and holding the bar out to him. He looked up at her uninterestedly.

"No, you take it."

"I've already had one, so has everyone else but you."

"Well I still don't want it."

"Stubborn asshole." Kaitlyn muttered as she stood up. She turned to leave and through the bar onto Merle's lap as she walked away.

Across the room T-dog and Andrea were conversing near the glass doors of the building. Kaitlyn walked to where Brittany and Sparky sat near where they had come in. Sparky was sitting on a stool and Brittany sat cross-legged in the floor, playing with her tomahawk. "Hey guys." Kaitlyn said, sitting down in front of them and bringing her kneed up to her chest, leaning back on her arms.

"Hey." Brittany said pitching the tomahawk at the wooden floor and pulling it back out. Kaitlyn let out a long sigh. She missed the house that Daryl and she had stayed in. The electricity, running water, food, the beds.

"Do you guys think we'll get out of here soon?" Sparky asked from the stool.

"Hopefully." Brittany said, lobbing the tomahawk into the ground again, scoring for about the sixth time.

Kaitlyn opened her mouth to voice her concern about Merle not wanting to eat when a gunshot fired from down the road. "What the hell?" Brittany said, wrenching her tomahawk from the ground and standing up. Kaitlyn and Sparky followed, Sparky grabbing her bat. They headed over to where T-dog and Andrea where now looking out the glass doors. Kaitlyn looked back to Merle, but he wasn't there, nor was his gun. The door leading to the roof was open and Kaitlyn assumed that was where he went.

"What was that?" T-Dog asked.

"Sounded like a gun." Kaitlyn said.

"That's going to draw out every walker in the city!" Sparky squeaked.

There were a few more gunshots and then they stopped. Everyone waited in silence for a few minutes then fourteen more. "

Static sounded on the walkie-talkie that T-dog had brought with him.

"I'm back, got a guest, lost four geeks in the alley." Glenn's voice sounded through the radio.

"I bet his guest is the idiot firing of the gun." Andrea said. Glenn busted through the door with a man wearing a police uniform. Andrea grabbed him and pinned him to a shelf. "Son of a bitch, I ought to kill you!" She shoved her silver pistol into his face.

"Just chill out Andrea, back off." T-dog said.

"Come on, ease up." Sparky told her nervously.

"Ease up? We're dead because of this stupid asshole." Andrea continued to point the gun into the man's terrified face.

"Andrea," T-dog said, stepping up beside her. "I said back the hell off." Everyone stood in silence for a few tense moments, all staring at Andrea and the new comer.

She lowered her gun and stepped back. "We're dead, all of us." She said, her voice shaking with terror "All because of you."

"You don't understand." The man said.

"Look." Brittany said, grabbing the man by the arm and leading him towards the center of the room. "We came into the city to gather supplies. You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving. You know the key to surviving? Sneaking in and out, not shooting up the streets like the OK Corral."

"Every geek from miles around heard you poppin' off rounds." T-dog said, gesturing towards the doors.

"You just rang their dinner bell." Sparky whispered.

"Get the picture now?" Kaitlyn asked.

Outside the door were hundreds of walkers, all pressed against one another and the door. The glass was beginning to crack; one walker even had a rock. Everyone retreated to the back of the store as they walkers banged on the glass.

"What the hell were you doing out there anyway?" Andrea asked.

"I was trying to find the helicopter." The man replied.

"Helicopter? Man that's crap, ain't no damn helicopter." T-dog snapped.

"You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things. It happens." Sparky told him.

"I saw it." The man said angrily.

"Hey, T-dog, try that CB." Brittany said and T-dog pulled the walkie-talkie from his pocket. "Can you contact the others?"

"Others? The refugee center?" The man asked.

"Yeah, the refugee center, they've got biscuits waiting in the oven for us." Kaitlyn answered.

"Got no signal," T-dog declared "Maybe the roof?"

Just then a gunshot and whoop came from overhead. "Oh no, was that Dixon?" Andrea asked.

They all turned and ran up the stairs to the rooftop of the department store. Another shot sounded as they ran up the stairs, then two more.

"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?" Brittany yelled as they burst out onto the roof. Merle began to laugh and turned.

"Hey, hey, you better be more polite to a man with a gun." He proclaimed. "Only common sense." He jumped down from the roof side.

"You wastin' bullets we ain't even got man!" T-dog yelled running over with the rest of the group towards Merle. "And you bringin' more of them down here on our ass, man, just chill!"

"Hey, bad enough I've got these women on my ass all day, now I'm gonna take orders from you?" Merle said loudly, stepping closer to T-dog. "I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day." He said.

"That'll be the day? You got somethin' you wanna tell me?" T-dog asked, motion to himself.

"Hey, T-dog just leave it, alright?" Sparky pleaded.

"No." T-dog interrupted.

"It ain't worth it." Sparky told him. "Now Merle, just relax, ok? We've got enough trouble."

"You wanna know the day?" Merle asked.

"Yeah." T-dog responded.

"I'll tell ya the day Mr.'yo'. The day I take orders from a nigger." Merle said.

"Oh mutha-"T-dog yelled, swinging at Merle but being hit in the face with the end of Merle's gun. The new man tried to break them up, but Merle punched his face before turning back to T-dog.

"Come on Merle, that's enough!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Sparky and Andrea were screaming.

Merle knocked T-dog to the ground.

"Get off of him!" Sparky demanded. However Merle began to kick T-dog in the stomach. Merle climbed on top of him and started punching his face, over and over. He pulled a pistol out of his back pocket and aimed it at T-dog's face.

"No, no, no!" Sparky screamed.

"Please, please." Andrea begged.

Beneath Merle T-dog grunted and whimpered in pain. Merle took a look around the disheveled group. He pulled the gut out of T-dog's face, but spit on his chest before standing. "Yeah. All right!" he yelled. "Let's have ourselves a little powwow, huh? Talk about, who's in charge. I vote me!" Glenn, Brittany and Sparky pulled T-dog back away from Merle. "Anybody else? Democracy time ya'll." He raised his own hand up into the air. "Show of hands. Huh? All in favor? Huh? Let's see 'em." Andrea raised her hand apprehensively.

"Oh, come one." Kaitlyn said.

"All in favor?" Merle smiled maliciously. Brittany, Sparky, and Glenn all raised their hands as Merle pointed the gun from person to person. Kaitlyn, however just looked at him with disgust.

"Well, majority rules." Merles said. "That means I'm the boss right? Yeah, anybody else?" He asked, hand still raised. "Hm? Anybody?"

"Yeah." A voice said from behind him. He was hit in the face by his own gun and fell to the ground. The new guy stepped over top of him and hooked a handcuff around Merle's right wrist, then attached the other cuff to some piping. He grabbed Merle by the shirt and lifted him up.

"Who the hell are you man?" Merle demanded.

"I'm officer friendly." The man said his face close to Merle's. "Look here, Merle." He unloaded Merle's pistol. "Things are different now. There are no 'niggers' anymore. No, dumb-as-shit, inbred, white trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. It's us and the dead. We survive by pulling together, not apart."

"Screw you man." Merle said quietly.

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." The man told him.

"Yeah? Well screw you twice." Merle replied.

"You better be polite to a man with a gun, huh? It's only common sense." The man said putting his own pistol to Merle's temple. Everyone stood still for a moment.

"You wouldn't. You're a cop." Merle murmured.

"All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son." The man whispered back. "Anybody that gets in the way of that's gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that." The man checked Merle for more weapons and pulled something out of his pocket. "Got some on your nose there." He said, flicking Merle on his nose and standing up.

"What're you gonna do? Arrest me?" Merle asked and laughed. "Hey, what're do doing man, that was my stuff!" He yelled as the man threw what he had pulled out of Merle's pocket off the roof. "Hey!" Merle pulled against the cuff. "If I get loose you better pray! Yeah, ya hear me, you pig! You hear me?"

"Yeah, your voice carries." The man muttered walking way.

Merle continued to yell insults at the man as he walked away.

Kaitlyn looked at Merle, disappointed. She shook her head, ashamed that she had ever even considered this man an acquaintance.

"It's like time square down there." Andrea commented, looking at the congregation of walkers. Kaitlyn joined her, Sparky, and Brittany.

"How's that signal, T-dog?" Brittany turned and asked.

"Like Dixon's brain," T-dog replied "weak." Merle glared at him and raised his middle finger.

"Keep trying." Sparky urged.

"Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a Damn thing." Andrea said, walking away.

"Got some people outside the city is all." Glenn told the new guy. "There's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream.

"Then she's right, we're on our own." The new guy said. "It's up to us to find a way out."

"Good luck with that." Merle scoffed. These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I've hear. Ain't that right, sugar tits?" He turned to Andrea who looked at him in shock. "Hey, Honeybun. What say you get me out of the cuffs; we go off somewhere and bump some uglies? Gonna die anyways."

"I'd rather." Andrea replied. Kaitlyn snickered and stooped to help Andrea to pack the backpack she was filling.

"Rug muncher." He said. "I figured as much."

"The streets aren't safe." The new guys stated.

"Now, there's an understatement." Brittany breathed.

"What about under the streets, in the sewers?"

"Oh, man. Hey Glenn, go check the alley for any manhole covers." Brittany said.

Glenn hopped up and dashed over to the side of the building. He ran back a few seconds later. "No. They must all be out on the streets where the geeks are."

"Damn." Kaitlyn muttered.

"Wait, maybe not." Sparky said.

"What?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Well, an old building, built in, roughly, the twenties. Big structures like this often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding, down in the subbasement.

"How do you know that?" Glenn asked.

"I was going to school to become an architect." Sparky explained. They all headed down the stairs except for T-dog, who sat with the radio, and Merle, still cuffed to the pipe.

Once they made it to the main floor and headed to the subbasement Brittany stopped her. "Maybe you should stay here and watch the doors? Yell if you need anything." Kaitlyn nodded and pulled her bow off her back. "Let's hope I won't." She called after Brittany as the group descended another flight of stairs.


	9. Chapter 9-Escaping The City

**A/N: So I know this one's a little short, but I found a good place for it to end and chapter ten to start, so sorry about that. Also, chapter ten will not be out until Monday because I'm having company and don't want to ingnore them, so see you Monday!**

Kaitlyn waited by the far end of the wall, bow at the ready. The walkers were banging on the door; the glass looked as if it could break at any moment. The new guy and Andrea had now joined her. They stood over by some jewelry talking. Kaitlyn sighed and leaned back against the wall. Brittany, Sparky, and Glenn, she assumed, must've went to try and find the sewers. She looked up at the ceiling and grimaced. If Daryl knew that Merle was up there he would throw a fit. But what could Kaitlyn do, she didn't have the keys or any way to let him out. She wondered what T-dog and Merle were talking about, seeing as they were both up there. It could not be a pleasant conversation. It had been almost ten minutes. She looked up just in time to see the glass doors shatter.

The wall of walkers climbed in and smacked against the second set of doors. Brittany, Sparky, and Glenn all came running up at the same time. "What did you find down there?" The new guy asked.

"Not a way out" Brittany told him.

"We've got to find a way out of here." The man said.

"No shit Sherlock." Kaitlyn muttered. "Let's all get up to the roof for now."

They all ran up the stairs quickly, shutting the doors behind them. They burst out on to the roof and ran to the edge.

"What's goin' on?" Merle demanded, pulling on the pipe.

The new guy had a pair of binoculars out and was scanning around. "That construction site, those trucks." He pointed towards a construction site. "They always keep keys on hand."

"How would we get there?" Brittany asked. "The street's crawling with geeks."

"You got me out of that tank." The man said to Glenn.

"Yeah, but they were feeding then, they were distracted." Glenn replied.

"Can we distract them again?" The man asked.

"Right. Listen to him, he's on to somethin'." Merle said from the ground. "A diversion, like on "Hogan's Heroes."

"God, give it a rest." Sparky snapped.

"There drawn by sound right?" The man questioned.

"Right, like dogs. They hear sound they come." Glenn said.

"What else?" The man asked.

"Aside from they hear you?" Brittany replied "They see you, they smell you, and if they catch you, they eat you."

"They can tell us by smell?" The man asked.

"Can't you?" Glenn asked, surprised.

"They smell dead and we don't. It's pretty distinct." Sparky stated.

The man looked around at the group. "I've got a plan." He said.

They all followed him down the stairs again. "So, what's this plan?" Kaitlyn asked.

"We make ourselves smell like them. Me and Glenn." The man told her.

"And how're you going to do that?"

"We cut one up, rub it on us. We'll wear coats and gloves so we don't get it all over us though." He explained.

"That's crazy!" Sparky exclaimed.

"Well, it's all we've got." The man said. They all nodded in agreement.

The man walked to a shelf and grabbed a handful of coats, but they were one short. "It's fine; I'll stay here and watch the door." Kaitlyn volunteered. The man nodded and continued to pass them out.

"If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold." Glenn said, worry written on his face.

"He's right, Ok. Just stop. Take some time to think this through." Andrea said, walking up to the man.

"How much time? They already got through one set of doors that glass won't hold forever." The man tossed one of the coats to Glenn.

Kaitlyn readied her bow and the man, T-dog, and Glenn ran outside to drag one of the bodies in. "Take it to the basement." The man instructed. Once again Kaitlyn was left alone. The walkers at the door were still moaning and banging with all their might. For the first time, Kaitlyn began to doubt that they would make it out of this one. She waited patiently for the others to finish. When they finally emerged, Glenn and the cop were both covered in blood, and even had intestines and body parts wrapped around their necks. Kaitlyn grimaced at the sight. Once they were out and on the street everyone ran up the stairs once again.

"Hey, what's happenin' man?" Merle called as they came out onto the roof.

"Hey, T-dog, try that CB." Brittany instructed.

"Hey, come on, talk to me ya'll." Merle said.

"Glenn and the cop are trying to get us out of here." Kaitlyn told him.

T-dog raised the radio to his mouth. "Basecamp, this is T-dog." He said "Anybody hear me?" Brittany scanned the streets below with the binoculars. "Can anybody out there hear me?" T-dog asked.

"There!" Brittany hollered, pointing into the road. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Kaitlyn looked up.

"That can't be good." She murmured.

"That asshole's out on the street with the handcuff keys?" Merle asked incredulously.

From where he sat in front of Merle T-dog pulled the key out of his pocket and wiggled it tauntingly in front of Merle who looked terrified. Kaitlyn stepped towards T-dog.

"Maybe you should let me keep that." She whispered.

"Why, you don't trust me?" T-dog asked, looking at her angrily.

"It's not that, it's just that I wouldn't blame you if you left him. But if you do Daryl'll be so mad." She breathed.

T-dog just shook his head and placed the key back in his pocket. Kaitlyn turned and looked at Merle apologetically. She walked back over by Sparky, who handed the binoculars back to Brittany. Then the rain started.

"Shit." Brittany hissed. Kaitlyn could hardly see, but the man and Glenn still trudged on.

"It's just a cloud burst." Andrea said. "We get them all the time, it'll pass real quick."

The man and Glenn started running. "The scent must've washed away!" Sparky yelled. The horde of walkers started running after them. They started to knock walkers out left and right. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon." Brittany pleaded. They hit a fence and climbed over. The man turned and shot a couple off the top of the fence. One of the walkers made it over just as the man and Glenn climbed into the van. It revved to life and spun out as the fence collapsed and the walkers came through.

"They're leaving us!" Andrea screamed.

"What? WHAT?" Merle yelled.

"Where're they going? Where're they going?" Brittany panicked.

"No no, come back!" Sparky begged, but the van continued in the opposite direction. Suddenly Glenn's voice came over the radio. "Those roll up doors at the front of the store facing the street. Meet us there and be ready." Was all he said before disconnecting. "I'll go check the door. T-dog." She looked at the man who was rising to his feet. His eyes met hers for a moment before she ran down the stairs, arrows at the ready.

The glass was going to shatter any second. "Guys!" Kaitlyn yelled up the stairs. In only a few seconds they were there. "Come on!" She led the way to the doors. They grabbed the chain and waited. "Shh." Brittany breathed. "Hear that?" A car alarm was blaring and coming closer. Not too long after it was gone again, then a knock sounded at the door. They pulled the chain and found the cop waiting. They threw their things in and Kaitlyn climbed into the passenger seat before they took off just as the walkers entered the room. Brittany slammed the door of the van closed and they sped away.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Kaitlyn looked back at the group then her eyes widened. "Where is Merle?" She asked.

Everyone turned to T-dog who looked very angry. "I dropped the damn key." He said.

"YOU WHAT!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"It was an accident." T-dog whispered.

"We have to back!"

"No, there's no way we're going back." The man said.

"So we're just going to leave him there?" Kaitlyn demanded.

"We don't have a choice."

"We had a choice not to leave him there." Kaitlyn looked down, her brown hair hiding her face. "Daryl's gonna kill me." She murmured.

"Where's Glenn?" Andrea asked.

"He's going to meet us back at your camp." The man said.

As they drove Kaitlyn sat curled in the passenger seat, terrified of what waited at camp when Daryl found out that Merle was left behind.


	10. Chapter 10-Breaking The News

**A/N: As promised the tenth installment in The Walking Dead series, please do enjoy!**

Kaitlyn sat with her legs up in the seat, her arms around her knees, and her forehead resting on her forearms. The man, whose name she had learned was Rick, sped down the road, following directions given by Brittany and Sparky. His face looked troubled as he drove, no doubt thinking of Merle, still chained to the roof. "Best not to dwell on it." Brittany told him. "Merle got left behind."

"Nobody's gonna be sad he got left behind." Andrea said from the back. "Except, maybe Daryl."

"Daryl?" Rick asked.

"His brother." Brittany said.

"He's going to kill me." Kaitlyn moaned. Suddenly a car alarm came from behind them. A bright red car pulled up beside the van, Glenn whooping from the driver's side seat as he sped past them.

"At least someone's having a good day." Sparky muttered. Kaitlyn kept her head on her knees the entire ride. Her breath was shaky with nerves. When Daryl found out that she had left Merle behind, Kaitlyn didn't even want to think about it. They finally pulled into the camp. Kaitlyn reluctantly climbed out of the car. She grabbed her bow and walked around the front of the van. She scanned the camp. "Where's Daryl?" She asked.

"He's still out hunting." Dale told her. She sighed in relief and headed towards her tent.

"Amy."

"Andrea!" Kaitlyn turned to see the two sisters embrace, making her miss her own siblings.

She stepped into her tent and looked around. It had been clean when she left, but since then Daryl had really let the place go. She sighed and deposited her bow and quiver before taking another shaky breath.

Kaitlyn exited her tent just as Rick climbed from the van. He walked nervously towards the group but froze. His eyes met Shane's full of recognition. The he stumbled back as step and pointed towards where Carl and Lori stood together near the RV. "Oh my god." He whispered before running forward. "Dad. DAD!" Carl screamed, running to meet Rick halfway. Carl and Rick were both crying as they met and Rick knelt down to enfold Carl in his arms. "Carl." He breathed. Rick picked Carl up and carried him towards a stunned Lori who clasped Rick around the neck and joined in the embrace. Kaitlyn smiled sadly at the crying reunited family, as she missed her own. Brittany, who stood beside her, patted her back. "I'm sure you'll find your family too." She reassured her.

"I sure hope so." Kaitlyn breathed.

Night finally came and there had still been no sight of Daryl, to Kaitlyn's relief. The whole group was sitting around the fire listening to Rick's description of waking up in the new world and what he did. Kaitlyn, however, was sitting off to the side alone, her legs crossed in the grass. She stared blankly into the fire, fear and regret eating at her heart. She didn't even notice Sparky sit down next to her until she had placed her arm around Kaitlyn's shoulder. "Hey." She said quietly.

"Hi." Kaitlyn mumbled.

"You ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, I, I'm fine." She replied.

"You don't look fine." Sparky told her.

"I'm just so worried about Daryl." Kaitlyn confided.

Sparky rubbed Kaitlyn's shoulder lightly. "Look, I can tell that he cares about you, even if it is in his own weird, backwoods, redneck way." She chuckled.

"So?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Well, he may be mad at first, but I think he'll forgive you." Sparky told her.

"What if he doesn't?"

"He will." Sparky promised. She stood and joined the group. Kaitlyn overheard them talking about how to tell Daryl that Merle was left. She would have offered to tell them, but wouldn't it be so much easier just to let someone else do the hard part? She couldn't help but wonder. She sat in the grass for a while longer, just looking at nothing, trying not to think too much. "Hey, do you wanna sleep with me and Sparky again?" Brittany asked as she passed.

"No. No I think I want to be alone tonight, thanks though." Kaitlyn replied somberly.

"Alright." Brittany said, through her face looked worried. Kaitlyn eventually headed to the untidy tent and lay down. She removed her silver locked that held the photos of her brother and sister. She opened it and squinted to see their smiling faces. A tear dropped onto the glass and Kaitlyn wiped it away quickly. She took a steadying breath before laying the locked next to her head and going to sleep.

She woke up early the next morning and the nervousness instantly returned. She grabbed her bow and quiver before heading out. She helped Jacquie prepare breakfast and ate in silence. She then made her way around camp doing odd jobs, trying to keep herself busy. She started to help Lori hand the clothes out to dry. "Mom, can Sophia and I go play out that way." Carl asked her.

"I don't know Carl, is there anyone to watch you?" Lori replied, hanging a shirt.

"I can go with them." Jacqui offered.

Lori sighed but nodded and the children ran off with Jacqui close behind. Kaitlyn looked up to see Rick heading their way. She nudged Lori's arm before walking away towards the trees. She stood with her back on one. She closed her eyes tiredly and took a deep breath. Suddenly there was a scream from the woods followed by "MOM!"

"CARL?" Lori yelled back.

"DAD!'

"Baby!" Lori screamed.

"Momma! Mommy!" Sophia yelled.

Kaitlyn readied her bow and headed off in the direction of the screams. She led the group, Rick, Shane, Glenn, Brittany, Sparky and the rest of the men save Ed.

Crouching in a small clearing was a walker. It was bent over a deer. It had torn into the deer's neck and was pulling the meat off with its hands. Kaitlyn swallowed the urge to vomit and trained her arrow on it. It turned and ran at rick that knocked it back with metal pole. They all took turns hitting it until Dale caught its neck with his axe and its head rolled off to the ground. "Ew." Sparky breathed. Kaitlyn tried not to look at it.

Then, from a bush, came a rustling sound. Everyone turned and Kaitlyn aimed her arrow. The all waited in silence for a few moments before Daryl emerged from behind a rock. "Oh, Jesus." Dale whispered.

Kaitlyn tensed as he neared the group. "Son of a bitch!" He exclaimed. "That's _my _deer."

He made his way to the dead animal, annoyance written on his face. "Look at it all gnawed on by this, filthy, disease-bearin', motherless, POXY BASTARD!" He kicked the walker's body with each insult. "

"Calm down son, that's not helping." Dale advised.

Daryl charged towards Dale. "What do you know about it old man?" He asked. "Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "On Golden Pond"?"

He walked back to the deer and began to pull the arrows from its flank. "I've been tracking this deer for miles." He sighed. "Gonna drag it back to camp," he pulled another arrow out "cook us up some venison. What d'you think? Think we can cut around this, this chewed up part right here?" He drew a circle with his finger.

"I would not risk that." Shane said.

He sighed again. "That's a damn shame." He turned back to face the group. "I got some squirrel, 'bout a dozen or so. That'll have to do." On the ground the walker's head suddenly jerked and it opened its mouth. "C'mon people, what the hell." Daryl said. He stooped over and fired his cross bow into the walker's eye. "It's gotta be the brain." He walked over and pulled the arrow out of the walker's head. "Don't ya'll know nothin'?" He asked as he walked back towards camp.

"Still an asshole I see." Brittany muttered and Sparky snickered in reply. Kaitlyn followed behind the rest of the group, knowing that at any second Daryl would figure out that Merle was not there.

"Merle." Daryl called as he entered camp. "Merle, get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel. Let's stew 'em up." He sat his cross bow down by the fire.

"Daryl," Shane called. "Just slow up a bit, I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Daryl asked, turning to face Shane. He nodded when he noticed Kaitlyn and she returned a weak smile.

"About Merle." Shane said. "There was a, uh. There was a problem in Atlanta."

Daryl looked around and met Kaitlyn's eyes, but she quickly looked down until he turned away. "He dead? He asked quietly.

"We're not sure." Shane replied delicately.

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl yelled.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick said, walking towards Daryl.

"Who're you?" Daryl asked.

"Rick Grimes." Rick told him.

"Rick Grimes, you got somethin' you wanna tell me?" Daryl asked angrily.

"Your brother was a danger to us all," Rick explained, "So I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

"Hold on," Daryl said, walking away and rubbing his face with his arm. "Lemme process this." He moved his finger in little circles near his temple as he turned. "YOU'RE SAYING YOU HANDCUFFED MY BROTHER TO A ROOF AND YOU LEFT HIM THERE!?" He shouted.

"Daryl, please." Kaitlyn said quietly.

"AND YOU! YOU LET THEM?" He yelled at her harshly. Kaitlyn flinched at his words.

"No, I, I didn't know we left him!" She stuttered.

"Yeah." Rick said faintly. "We left him, but it was his own fault." Daryl stepped back anger and pain written so plainly across his face. He threw the squirrels at Rick who ducked under them. "Hey!" Shane snapped, shouldering Daryl away from rick.

Kaitlyn grabbed the back of her hair and squeezed her eyes shut as the impact knocked Daryl to the ground. Daryl pulled a knife from a sheath on his belt. "Watch the knife!" T-Dog warned as Daryl got to his feet.

"Daryl, no!" Kaitlyn pleaded, but his focus was solely on Rick. He sliced at him a few times, but his anger made is aim wide and he missed. The second swing gave Rick the opportunity to grab Daryl's arm and Shane grabbed him from the back. "Okay, okay." Shane said.

"YOU'D BEST LET ME GO!" Daryl howled in anger.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Shane said, pulling Daryl into a choke hold.

"Stop please, you'll hurt him!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"Why, so he can kill Rick?" T-dog asked.

"CHOKEHOLD'S ILLEGAL." Daryl grunted.

"You can file a complaint. " Shane said as he wrestled Daryl to the ground.

"C'mon now, we can keep this up all day." Shane said as Daryl whimpered as he fought for breath.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?" Rick said, kneeling down close to Daryl.

"Like you deserve one." Kaitlyn muttered.

"Excuse me?" Rick asked.

"You did leave his brother chained to a roof! He has every right to be mad at you!" Kaitlyn exclaimed.

"I don't need your help!" Daryl wheezed from the ground.

Kaitlyn looked taken aback, but silenced herself; after all, he had every right to be mad at her also.

Shane and Rick exchanged a nod and Shane threw Daryl to the ground. "What I did was not on a whim." Rick explained. "Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Ricks fault." T-dog said. "I had the key. I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl asked incredulously.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain" T-dog clarified.

Daryl snorted and looked at the ground. He slowly climbed to his knees, then to his feet. "If it's supposed to make me feel better it don't!" He threw some dirt onto the ground.

"Well, maybe this will." T-dog turned to Daryl. "Look, I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him. With a padlock."

"It's gotta count for something." Rick said from behind Daryl.

Daryl rounded on him then looked around the whole camp. He grimaced and looked as if he could cry. "HELL WITH ALL Y'ALL!" He whipped his hand around the whole group. "Just tell me where he is." He pleaded softly. "So's I can go get him." His voice was becoming thicker and thicker.

"He'll show you." Lori said softly. "Isn't that right?"

"I'm going back." Rick said quietly. Lori turned and walked into the RV. Daryl stormed off into the woods.

"Wait." Kaitlyn said, but he continued on. She ran after him, following his footsteps quietly through the brush. When she finally caught up with him he was sitting on a rock, his palms pressed to his eyes. Kaitlyn walked quietly to the edge of the tree's that surrounded him. "Daryl?" She asked quietly. His head snapped up. His eyes were red but there were no signs of tears. "What d'you want?" He asked hatefully, turning away from her.

"Look," she said, walking to the rock and standing beside it. "It isn't my fault that he was left. We were gone before I realized he wasn't with us, and everyone else refused to go back. What was I supposed to do?"

He looked up at her, but didn't say anything, anger still burning in his eyes. "I'm still sorry though." She whispered. He held her gaze for a few moments before grabbing her wrist and pulling her into a hug. He dug his face into the crook of her neck. "What if he's dead?" He asked.

"He won't be, we'll go back for him, ok?" Kaitlyn tried to reassure him as she patted his back. He pulled away and stood up quickly. "Well then, what the hell are we still doing here?" He asked angrily as he walked back to camp, wiping his eyes off. Kaitlyn smiled after him and shook her head. She met him back in the camp; he was standing by the fire pit, getting his crossbow ready for the journey. Shane and Rick came up the hill talking loudly. "Could you just tell me why?" Shane asked. "Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?"

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl warned.

"No, I did." Shane told him "Douche bag's what I meant." Daryl rolled his eyes and headed for the tent. Kaitlyn soon followed and found him sitting on his knees, studying something in his hand. "What'cha got there?" She asked.

"Is this yours?" He turned to face her, her locket in his hand, opened.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot it was still in here." She replied, reaching to take it back, but Daryl jerked his hand away.

"These your brother and sister? The ones you've been lookin' for?"

"Yes." Kaitlyn answered sadly. They stayed there in silence for a few moments.

"We'll find 'em. I promise." He told her before handing her the locked and exiting the tent. Kaitlyn stood, dumbstruck for a moment before closing the locked and throwing it over her neck. She also exited the tent. "That's just great, now you're gonna risk four people?" Shane asked rick, gesturing to Glenn.

"Five." T-dog said. Daryl scoffed from where he sat cleaning an arrow. "My day just keeps gettin' better and better, don't it?"

"You see anybody else here stepping up?" T-dog asked. "To save your brothers cracker ass?"

"Why you?" Daryl asked agitatedly.

"You wouldn't even begin to understand." T-dog told him. "You don't speak my language."

"Be nice." Kaitlyn whispered as she sat down next to Daryl.

"That's five." Dale pointed out.

"It's not just five, you're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that Rick." Shane said "Come on, you saw that walker! It was here. It was _in_ camp. They're moving' out of the cities. They come back we need every able body we've got. We need 'em here, we need 'em to protect camp."

"It seems to me," Rick said "what you really need here, are more guns."

"Right, the guns." Glenn said nervously.

"Wait, what guns?" Shane asked.

"Six shot guns, two high powered rifles, over a dozen hand guns." Rick replied. "I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there in the street, waitin' to be picked up."

"Ammo?" Shane questioned.

"Seven hundred rounds, assorted." Rick told him.

"You went through hell to find us." Lori pointed out. "You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?"

"Dad, I don't want you to go." Carl pleaded.

"To hell with the guns." Loris said. "Shane is right."

Daryl huffed and walked away again. "Hey." Kaitlyn followed him.

"I can't believe they are even talking about this!" He whispered harshly.

"Look, whatever they decide, I'm with you." She told him. Daryl narrowed his eyes at her and nodded thankfully.

They walked together to the van and climbed in. Rick and T-dog were over by the RV talking to Dale. "What're they doing?" Daryl asked. He walked to the front and pounded the horn a few times with his foot. "Come on let's go!" He yelled. Rick and T-dog made their way to the van and the group took off.

They rode mainly in silence until Daryl spoke up. "He better be ok. It's my only word on the matter."

"I told you the geeks can't get at him." T-dog told him. "The only thing that's gonna get through that door, is us."

Glenn pulled the van onto some railroad tracks and stopped it. He turned and looked at the group in the back. "We walk from here." He simply said. Daryl threw the back door up and jumped out, Kaitlyn and T-dog close behind, Kaitlyn already had an arrow on the bow. They jogged down the tracks towards the city, T-dog limping in the back. They approached a gate and T-dog cut it with Dale's wire cutters that they had borrowed.

"Merle first, or guns?" Rick asked.

"Merle! We ain't even havin' this conversation." Daryl said.

"We _are_." Rick said. "You know the geography, it's your call." He said to Glenn.

"Merle's closest." Glenn said. "The guns would mean doubling back, Merle first." They jogged off in the direction of the department store. All of the walkers seemed to have wondered off and they got there with no problems.

They entered the store quietly, Daryl and Kaitlyn in the front. From ahead they could hear a walker. Rick signaled for them to stop. He pointed from his eyes to the now emerged walker. A woman with mangled brown hair. Daryl crept forward until he was right in front of her. "Damn." He whispered, raising his crossbow. "You are one ugly skank." He aimed and fired right into the middle of her forehead. He walked forward and pulled the arrow from her head then wiped it on his pants. They then headed up the stairs. Daryl was breathing hard, and Kaitlyn knew it was more from anxiety then exertion. They reached the door and stepped back for T-dog to cut the chain. He snapped it and Daryl pushed in front of him, bursting out onto the roof.

"Merle!" He shouted. "Merle!" Kaitlyn followed the group out onto the roof and shut the door behind them. "NO!" Daryl shrieked!" Kaitlyn turned and ran to the others, stopping just short of the pipe. "NO!" Daryl screamed again."

The wind blew Kaitlyn's hair in her face and she pushed it back. She looked at the ground. No Merle. But, lying nearby was a bloodied hacksaw and a human hand. Daryl was still screaming "No!" Kaitlyn covered her mouth with the back of one of her hands and took a shaky breath. "No!" Daryl face contorted and tears actually fell down his cheek. Kaitlyn dropped her bow, jumped over the pipe and ran to him. She grabbed his wrist, but he was pacing back and forth, still screaming. "No! No!"

"Hey, hey." Kaitlyn said soothingly. "Hey." She turned him towards her. He looked into her eyes then fell back onto the ground. Kaitlyn followed him and sat beside him. "No." he was still whispering. Kaitlyn put a hand on his shoulder, unsure of what to tell the grieving man in front of her.


	11. Chapter 11-Get The Guns

**A/N: So here is number eleven! Sorry it's shorter, but my computer has been acting up and I found a good place to end it, so...Enjoy! **

Daryl sat on the ground for only a few moments before throwing Kaitlyn off and jumping up. His breath was labored as he stared down at his brother's severed hand. Suddenly he turned and whipped his crossbow in to T-dog's face, but Rick cocked his pistol and put it to Daryl's head. "Stop!" Kaitlyn said, climbing to her feet. T-dog didn't so much as blink, he just held Daryl's level gaze.

"I won't hesitate." Rick said. "I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."

"Please, just stop." Kaitlyn whispered as Glenn came to stand behind her. Daryl held the crossbow on T-dog for a few more moments before dropping it, defeated. T-dog let out a relieved breath. Rick lowered his pistol also, but kept his eyes on Daryl. Daryl continued to stare at T-dog, his expression so full of pain that Kaitlyn took a shuddering breath. "You got a Do-rag or somethin'?" He asked T-dog quietly. T-dog reached in his pocket and pulled out a blue bandana and handed it to Daryl who jerked it from his hand.

He sat his crossbow against the pipe and walked over to Merle's hand. He took a deep breath before crouching and opening the bandana, sitting it on the ground next to the hand. "I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." He said, picking up Merle's hand by the pinkie finger. "Ain't that bitch?" He studied the hand for a moment before sitting in the middle of the bandana and wrapping it up. He picked it up and stood. He looked around at the group for a moment before pointing at Glenn. He walked over and turned him around. He opened Glenn's backpack and stuffed the hand inside. Glenn closed his eyes and swallowed his disgust.

"He must've used a tourniquet," Daryl observed "maybe his belt? Be much more blood if he didn't" He walked slowly, following the trail of blood left on the roof. Rick motioned for the rest of the group to follow. Kaitlyn grabbed her bow and hurried after him, eventually ending up by his side. Daryl kept his eyes on the ground as he walked, solely focused on Merle. They approached an open door and Daryl lifted his crossbow before entering. Kaitlyn placed an arrow on her bow before following. It took her eyes a moment to adjust but when they did she could see that they were in the entrance to another stair case. "Merle!" Daryl called as he started down the stairs. "You in here?" He looked over the side of the railing. He readied his crossbow again as they continued down the stairs. The approached another open door. Inside was a walker, she had no bottom jaw and her tongue hung loosely from her rotted face. Kaitlyn exhaled slightly at the sight. Daryl aimed and fired his crossbow easily before leading the way in. He retrieved the arrow before they found themselves in a large hallway. Rick led the way down, watching out for anymore walkers. As they neared even more doors Daryl pulled ahead.

The glass doors opened to a reception area where two walkers lay dead on the carpeted floor. "Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches." Daryl breathed. "One handed." He added.

He bent over and reloaded his crossbow. "Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother." He said as he pulled the bow back, the effort making him breathless. "Feed him a hammer he'd crap out nails."

"Any man can pass out from blood loss," Rick pointed out "No matter how tough he is."

Daryl led the way out of the reception area. "Merle!" He yelled again.

"We're not alone here." Rick whispered to him. "Remember?"

"Screw that." Daryl said. "He could be bleeding out, you said so yourself." He continued on into what looked like a kitchen. There was a stove in the corner and it was still on, a bloody belt and iron lying next to it. Rick walked over slowly and picked the iron up.

"What's that burned stuff?" Glenn asked.

"Skin." Rick murmured. "He cauterized the stump."

"Oh god." Kaitlyn whispered.

Rick sat the iron back on the counter. "Told you he was tough." Daryl said. "Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

"Don't take that on faith, he's lost a lot of blood." Rick told him.

"Way to look on the Brightside." Kaitlyn said.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be realistic." Rick replied. Kaitlyn just scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah?" Daryl asked. "Didn't stop him from bustin' out of this deathtrap." Daryl walked over to a shattered window.

"He left the building?" Glenn asked nervously. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl asked. "He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's gotta do. Survivin'." He walked away from the window.

"You call that surviving?" T-dog asked incredulously. "Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"

"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks!" Daryl snapped. "You couldn't kill him." Daryl turned to Rick, stepping close to his face. . "Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."

"What about one thousand dumb dead bastards?" Rick asked also stepping closer. "Different story?"

Daryl didn't budge. "Why don't you take a tally?" He asked "Do what you want I'm gonna go get him." Daryl started to walk off back towards the window. "Daryl, wait." Rick caught him by the chest to push him back. Daryl jumped back, pushing rick away. "Get your hands off me!" He demanded. "You can't stop me!"

"I don't blame you." Rick told him calmly. "He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." He and Daryl locked gazes for a moment. "He can't get very far with that injury." Rick said. "We could help you check a few blocks around, but only if we keep a level head."

Daryl held Ricks gaze before swallowing. "I could do that." He said, though not very convincingly. Rick turned to look at T-dog who was leaning on a wall.

"Only if we get those guns first." He said, standing up. Glenn shot a nervous glance at Daryl. Kaitlyn turned from where she stood near the window, watching for any passing walkers. "I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-dog explained. Daryl sighed but eventually agreed. They headed out of the kitchen and into an office. "So what are we going to do?" Kaitlyn asked as they all situated themselves. "I can go get the guns." Glenn said.

"What?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I've got a plan." He said, grabbing a marker and starting to draw on the floor.

"You're not doing this alone." Rick said.

"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl muttered.

"It's a good idea, okay," Glenn insisted, "If you'd just hear me out. If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast. Look." He pointed to the model he had drawn on the floor. He put an eraser in what Kaitlyn understood to be a road. "That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now." He placed a small wad of paper in front of it. "That's the bag of guns. Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met he pointed to a spot and looked at Rick. "That's where Daryl, Kaitlyn, and I will go."

"Why us?" Daryl questioned.

"Your bows are quieter than their guns." Glenn explained. Kaitlyn nodded in agreement. "Why they wait here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag." He looked up.

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asked.

"You and T-dog, right." Glenn said. "You'll be in this alley here." He pointed to another alley.

"Two blocks away?" Rick asked. "Why?"

"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off." Glenn explained. "If that happens I won't go back to Daryl's alley, I'll go forward instead. All the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me." He said. Afterwards we'll all meet back here."

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl asked.

"Delivered pizzas. Why?" He looked at Daryl confused. "Let's do this." Glenn said. They headed back to the department store and split up. Daryl and Kaitlyn followed Glenn to a ladder, the climbed up it and ran across roof tops until they hit another long ladder. Glenn climbed down first. Kaitlyn shouldered her bow and followed him, Daryl bringing up the rear. Kaitlyn dropped when she neared the ground. She pulled her bow off and placed an arrow on and pulled back, holding it ready. They all crouched as Glenn led the way towards the exit of the alley. "You got some balls for a Chinaman." Daryl said.

"I'm Korean." Glenn told him agitatedly.

"Whatever." Daryl said, reading his crossbow. Glenn ran out into the street, Kaitlyn and Daryl took up opposite sides of the entrance watching carefully. Suddenly there was a noise from behind. Daryl motioned that he would get it and turned, aiming his cross bow. "Whoa, don't shoot me!" A voice called. "What d'you want?"

Kaitlyn glanced back to see a scrawny teenage boy. She turned her attention back to the street where Glenn was nearing the bag steadily. "I'm looking for my brother. He's hurt real bad. You seen him?" Daryl asked.

"AYUDAME!" The boy screamed.

"Shut up!" Daryl yelled back. "You're gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me."

"He's got them!" Kaitlyn exclaimed.

"Answer me." Daryl demanded.

"AYUDAME!" The boy started screaming over and over.

"Shut it!" Kaitlyn barked, but the boy kept screaming.

Daryl reared back and hit him in the face with the back of his crossbow. The boy fell and Daryl pointed his arrow at his head. "Shut up. Shut up!" Daryl commanded but the boy kept screaming. Daryl bent over and tried to cover his mouth with his hand. Suddenly two men came bursting into the alley. Kaitlyn managed to trip one of them but the other got through. He kicked Daryl over and started to kick him. The man Kaitlyn had tripped got up and pushed Kaitlyn, her bow sliding out of her hands to the ground before running to hit Daryl with a baseball bat. Daryl covered his head and Kaitlyn struggled to her feet as Glenn entered the alley. "That's it, that's the bag, vato!" one of the men yelled. "Take it, take it!" They charged at Glenn. Kaitlyn ran to her bow and grabbed it. She found her arrow and placed it on her bow but was thrown back by the man with the bat who raised it to hit her. She covered her face but before the bat came down there was a screaming. Daryl had climbed to his knees and had shot one of the men. The grabbed Glenn and backed out of the alley. "Get off me! GET OFF ME!" He was yelling as they pulled him out. "DARYL! DARYL!" He shrieked. Daryl climbed to his feet as Kaitlyn rolled over and grabbed her bow again. The men shoved Glenn into a car and took off.

"Come back here!" Daryl yelled, chasing after them. "You sumbitches!" Walkers were now heading their way and Daryl was forced to pull the gate closed. The boy had climbed to his feet and was attempting to back away. Kaitlyn trained and arrow on him. "Don't move!" She instructed.

Rick and T-dog were heading down the alley at top speed. Daryl turned and charged at the boy, knocking him against a wall. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Rick said, pushing Daryl back. "Stop it."

"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!" Daryl yelled, swinging at the boy, now pinned to the wall by T-dog, from behind Rick. Kaitlyn had now moved her arrow to face the walkers gathered by the gate.

"Let me go!" The boy pleaded, pushing against T-dog who slammed him back against the wall.

"Chill out!" T-dog demanded.

"They took Glenn!" Daryl yelled, still trying to get around Rick. "That little bastard and his little bastard, homie friends! I'm gonna stomp your ass!" He pointed at the boy.

"Guys." Kaitlyn said as the gate gave a threating lurch.

"We're cut off!" T-dog yelled.

"Get to the lab, go." Rick instructed. T-dog grabbed the boy and led him back towards the ladder. Rick grabbed the guns and Daryl readied his crossbow again. "C'mon. Damn let's go." Daryl said. They all ran up the alley towards the ladder where T-dog was already ushering the boy to climb. "Faster!" Kaitlyn yelled, pointing her bow at the terrified boy.


	12. Chapter 12-Guillermo

**A/N: So I made this one longer to make up for the shortness of the previous chapter. Please, enjoy! Oh, and thank you for all the reviews, they are all really appreciated! **

They made it up the ladder just as the walkers came crashing into the alley. They hurried back down to the office that they had drawn the plan up in, T-dog leading the boy by his elbow. They ran down the stairs and jogged to the room, closing the door behind them. T-dog pushed the boy down into a chair. Rick walked up to him. "Those men you were with, we need to know where they went." He told the boy calmly.

"I ain't telling you nothing." The boy said voice calm buy eyes alight with fear.

"Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?" T-dog asked.

"I told you, this little turd and his douchebag friends came out of now where and jumped us." Daryl said angrily, pacing back and forth.

"You're the one who jumped me, puto." The boy said. "Screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault."

"They took Glenn; they could've taken Merle too." Daryl said.

"Merle? What kind of hick name is that?" The boy asked. "I wouldn't name my dog Merle."

Daryl stopped pacing and charged at the boy; Rick caught him just as he lifted his foot the kick the boy who leaned away. "Damn it Daryl, back off." Rick said, pushing him away from the boy. Daryl shot a sideways glance at Rick before walking over to Glenn's backpack and digging around.

"What are you doing?" Kaitlyn asked as he pulled out the blue bandana containing Merle's hand. "Jeez." She breathed as he started to unwrap it.

"Wanna see what happened to the last guy who pissed me off?" He asked, dropping the bandana and approaching the boy who was looking apprehensively at him. Daryl smacked Merle's hand into the boy's lap. The boy looked at it for a moment before realizing what it was. He yelped in fear as he threw the hand off himself and tried to back away. He climbed out of the seat but tripped over his own feet. As soon as he hit the ground Daryl was on him, grabbing onto his throat. "Start with the feet this time!" He exclaimed. Rick stepped forward grabbing Daryl by the back of his shirt and throwing him off the boy. He stumbled back, but Kaitlyn caught him before he could fall.

Glenn knelt down in front of the now terrified boy. "The men you were with took our friend." He explained sympathetically. "All we wanna do is talk to them; see if we can work something out."

The boy was breathing heavily and looked up at Rick. "Fine. I'll show you."

THE BOY LED THEM TO an old abandoned building. They hid behind a wall right outside and looked around. "T-dog," Rick turned to the man who was standing opposite of him. "See that up there?" He pointed up to the roof. "We need someone to snipe from there."

"I'll do it." T-dog said.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Rick asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay." T-dog grabbed the bag of guns and the rifle that Rick had given him and ran off.

"One wrong move," Daryl warned. "You get an arrow in the ass, just so you know."

"G's gonna take that arrow outta my ass and shove it up yours. Just so _you _know." The boy replied.

"You know you're a real smartass." Kaitlyn said.

"G?" Rick asked.

"Guillermo." The boy clarified. "He's the man here."

"Ok then." Rick said. He looked to Kaitlyn and Daryl then cocked his shot gun. "Let's go see Guillermo."

They climbed through a broken window, Kaitlyn in the rear, and Rick pushed the boy forward. He led the way slowly towards a big wooden double door. Kaitlyn went ahead and pulled back the bowstring, ready for action. They finally made it to the door and then stopped. They all had their weapons trained on him as the doors opened. A small Hispanic man walked out. "You okay, little man?" He asked.

"They're gonna cut off my feet, Carnal." He said motioning to the group behind him.

"Cops do that?" The man asked Rick.

"Not him. This redneck puto here." He clarified looking at Daryl. He cut some dude's hand off, man. He showed it to me." The boy whined.

"Shut up." Daryl instructed.

"Hey, that's that Vato right there, homes!" One of the men inside the building exclaimed, stepping forward. "He shot me in the ass with an arrow." As he stepped out of the building Kaitlyn saw that he was one of the men who had attacked them in the alley. "What's up, homes, huh?" He asked, pointing a gun at Daryl. Kaitlyn's breath caught but she kept a steady aim on the boy. The small man reached out and pushed his hand down. "Chill, ese, chill." He told him. "This true?" He asked. "He want's Miguelito's feet? That's pretty sick man."

"We were hoping more for a calm discussion." Rick said.

"That hillbilly jumps Felipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet," Daryl scanned his crossbow over the group. "Felipe gets an arrow in the ass," the man continued "and you want a calm discussion?" he asked. "You fascinate me."

"Heat of moment." Rick said. "Mistakes were made, on both sides."

"Who's that dude to you? You don't look related."

"He's one of our group, more or less." Rick said. "I'm sure you have a few like him."

"And you brought a girl."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Kaitlyn asked, looking at the man. He just shook his head, his gaze and expression still level.

"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asked.

"Sorry, we're fresh outta white boys. But I got an Asian. You interested?" The man cocked his head.

"I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade." Rick replied.

"Don't sound even to me." The man said.

"G!" The boy pleaded. "Come on, man."

"My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their suffering? More to the point, where's my bag of guns?" he asked.

"Guns?" Rick asked.

"The bag Miguel saw in the street." The man elucidated "The bag Filipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns."

"You're mistaken." Rick said.

"I don't think so."

"About it being yours." Rick told him. "It's my bag of guns."

"The bag was in the street." The man said. "Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word? What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now, and I take what's mine? " He asked. Kaitlyn shifted her aim towards the people congregated just inside the door way.

"You could do that." Rick said calmly. He turned and looked to the roof where T-dog sat. The man followed his gaze and found T-dog's aim locked on him. "Or not." Rick said.

The man turned back to Rick, looking more annoyed than anything. "Oye!" He yelled. They looked up at the roof directly above them. Two men were pulling a small, squirming figure into view. One of the men pulled the bag of the figure's head to reveal Glenn, his mouth duck taped together, his head covered in sweat. He looked horrified and he was whimpering loudly. "Glenn!" Kaitlyn called.

"I see two options." The man said. "You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or you come back locked and loaded; we'll see which side spills more blood." He shot a glance up at T-dog before throwing a satisfied smirk at Rick and walking away. The doors thudded closed behind him. The boy turned away sadly. They headed back to their office quickly. They sat the boy back down in the same seat and Rick placed the bag of guns on the table and began to unzip it.

"Them guns are worth more than gold." Daryl stated. "Gold won't protect your family, or put food on the table. You willing to give that up for that kid?"

Rick was looking down, loading a handgun.

"If I _knew _we'd get Glenn back, I might agree." T-dog said. "But you think that Vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?"

"You calling G a liar?" The boy asked.

"Are you a part of this?" Daryl barked at the boy. "You wanna hold on to your teeth?" He asked angrily, smacking the boy in the face. Kaitlyn, who was standing nearby, leaning on the door, nudged the boy with her foot.

"You may just want to keep your mouth shut." She whispered to him.

"Question is," T-dog said, "do you trust that man's word?"

"No," Daryl corrected, "the question is what are you willing to bet on it? Could be more than guns, could be your life. Glenn worth that to you? " He asked.

Rick stuffed his reloaded handgun into its holster and looked up. "What life I have I owe to him." He said quietly. "I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could have walked away but he didn't. Neither will I."

"So you're gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl asked.

"I didn't say that." Rick said.

Daryl held his gaze curiously. Rick glanced at Kaitlyn and T-dog on the opposite wall then looked back to Daryl. "There's nothing keeping you three here." He said. "You should get out, head back to camp."

"And tell your family what?" T-dog asked, rubbing his head exhaustedly.

Rick froze for a moment and looked around the room; no one showed any sign of budging, however. Daryl looked at Rick for a moment then reached over and grabbed a gun.

"Come on, this is nuts!" The boy exclaimed, jumping up. Daryl put a hand on his chest then pointed at the ground. The boy sat back and put his face in his hands.

"Can you shoot?" Rick asked Kaitlyn.

"Yeah." She said.

He nodded and tossed her a shotgun. "Just do what G says." The boy begged miserably from the ground as they all began to load their weapons.

"I thought I said keep your mouth shut, that doesn't mean keep talking." Kaitlyn snapped, her nerves feeling shot with the prospect of what they were about to do. Rick handed her a hand gun and after cocking it Kaitlyn stuck it into the back of her pants. "Let's go." Rick said. T-dog grabbed the boy and hauled him to his feet then led him towards the door. "Wait." Daryl said.

"What?" Rick asked.

"We should tie him up so he don't try to scream or anything." Daryl said. Rick thought for a moment and nodded. They got some cloths and tied them around the boy's wrists then his mouth. Kaitlyn shouldered her bow before they headed out the door.

They walked to the abandoned building, Daryl holding his rifle to the boy's back the whole way. Kaitlyn held the shotgun at the ready, but hoped she wouldn't have to use it. The doors were opened as they approached and Daryl led the boy in, Kaitlyn close behind. They grouped up in the middle and were soon surrounded. Guillermo had a lot more people than Kaitlyn had anticipated, but she tried not to show her fear.

Guillermo met them in the middle of the room. He looked very angry and he took a deep breath before speaking. "I see my guns, but they're not all in the bag."

"That's because they're not yours." Rick said. "I thought I mentioned that."

"Let's just shoot theses fools right now, ese!" Filipe said. Daryl raised his gun to the bag of Miguel's head. "Alright, unload on their asses, ese."

"I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation." Guillermo said.

"No, I'm pretty clear." Rick replied, lowering his gun for a moment. He pulled out a pocket knife and cut the binding at Miguel's wrists. He pushed him forwards. "You have your man. I want mine."

Guillermo stared angrily at Rick for a moment before stepping towards Rick. " I'mma chop up your boy." He said. "I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale." He continuously stepped closer and closer to Rick. "I told you how it had to be, are you woefully deaf?" He asked.

"No, my hearing's fine." Rick said. "You said come locked and loaded?" He lifted his gun and cocked it. Daryl followed and so did Kaitlyn. "Okay then, we're here." He put the barrel of his shot gun only inches from Guillermo's face. Guns cocked all around them as everyone tensed for a battle. Kaitlyn wasn't sure where to point her gun so she settled for scanning around.

Suddenly from the back of the crowd came an urgent voice. "Felipe! Felipe!" it called. Everyone kept their guns aimed as a frail, elderly woman emerged. "Abuela!" Filipe yelled. "Go back with the others now." But the woman continued to walk towards them.

"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl shouted.

"Abuela," Guillermo said. "Listen to your Mijo, okay? This is not the place for you right now."

"Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing!" The elderly lady exclaimed. "He needs his asthma stuff. Carlito didn't find it! He needs his medicine."

Guillermo took a few deep breaths then turned from Rick. "Felipe, go take care of it, okay, and take your grandmother with you!" he instructed.

Felipe turned and spoke to his grandmother in Spanish and tried to lead her off. But she stopped and turned to the group. "Who are those people?" She asked. She started to walk towards Rick. Felipe called to her in Spanish again.

"Don't you take him." She said to Rick.

"Ma'am?" He asked.

"Felipe's a good boy!" She cried. "He have his troubles but he pull himself together. We need him here."

"Ma'am." Rick said again. "I'm not here to arrest your grandson."

"Then, what do you want him for?" She asked.

"He's." Rick searched for something to tell her. "Helping us find a missing person. A fella named Glenn."

"The Asian boy?" She asked. "He's with Mr. Gilbert. Come. Come I show you!" She took headed off and Rick followed. Kaitlyn, T-dog, and Daryl all fell in line, still nervously pointing their guns. "He needs his medicine." The woman muttered.

"Let 'em pass." Guillermo said quietly.

The old woman took Rick by the hand and led them out the back door. The bright light hit Kaitlyn's eyes and blinded her momentarily. "You trust this?" Daryl asked as they started up some old metal stairs.

"I don't know." She sighed. The stairs led to another building that was in much better condition than the previous one. The old woman took them inside and headed straight for the back. They passed several open doors. In each one was an elderly person being tended to. Kaitlyn furrowed her brow and turned to Daryl who seemed just as confused as she was. "Abuela, por favor. Take me to him." Felipe said.

They entered what looked like a gym and auditorium. There was an elderly man in a wheel chair wheezing. Felipe was tending to him with expert ease. There was a group of elderly men and women crowded around. Glenn was standing off to the side, looking at the man with worry.

"What the hell is this?" Rick asked.

"An asthma attack." Glenn replied. "Couldn't get his breath all the sudden."

"I thought you were being eaten by dogs, man!" T-dog exclaimed.

Glenn turned, confused, to look at three Chihuahuas sitting in a doggie bed. Kaitlyn huffed at the dogs as they yipped at them. She turned back and looked at the old man who was starting to regain his breath.

"Could I have a word with you?" Rick asked Guillermo, pulling him to the side. "You are the dumbest son of bitch." Kaitlyn heard before they stepped out of ear shot. She reached up and readjusted her bow on her back. "That man is really stupid. What would have happened if we'd taken all of them out back there?" She asked Daryl and T-dog.

T-dog just shook his head and Daryl remained silent. "Hey." Rick called motioning for them to follow as Guillermo walked out of the room. They walked into a small room and Guillermo sat down on a table.

"What about the rest of your crew?" Rick asked.

"The Vatos trickle in to check on their parents, grandparents. They see how things are, and most decided to stay." Guillermo replied. "It's a good thing too, we need the muscle. The people we've encountered since things fell about, the worst kind. Plunderers. The kind that take by force."

"That's _not_ who we are." Rick said.

"How was I to know?" Guillermo asked. "My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage. Appearances."

"Guess the world changed." T-dog said.

"No." Guillermo said. "It's the same as it ever was. The weak get taken. So we do what we can here. The Vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most people can't even get to the bathroom by themselves, so that's just a dream. Still, it keeps the crew busy, and that's worth something. So we barred all the windows, wielded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The Vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter day and night and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now. I don't even know why."

"Because they can." Rick said quietly. He and Guillermo held eye contact for a few moments before Rick lifted his shotgun and handed it to Guillermo. He reached in the bag and placed a few more guns on the table.

NOT TO LONG AFTER THEY LEFT the nursing home and were walking back to the van. "Admit it." Glenn said to Rick. "You only came back to Atlanta for the hat." He referenced to the trooper that that Rick now adorned on his head.

"Don't tell anybody." Rick replied lightly.

"You've given away half our guns and ammo." Daryl said.

"Not nearly half." Rick replied, the light tone gone in his voice.

"For what?" Daryl asked. "A bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously how long you think they got? "

"How long do any of us?" Rick asked.

Suddenly everyone stopped abruptly and Kaitlyn ran into Daryl's back. "What is it?" She asked. She peeked over Daryl's shoulder. "Oh crap." She whispered. The van was gone.

"Oh my god!" Glenn exclaimed.

"Where the hell's our van?" Daryl asked.

"We left it right there. Who would take it?" Glenn asked, sounding a bit panicky.

"Merle." Rick breathed.

"He's gonna be takin' some vengeance back to camp." Daryl pointed out.

"We best get moving then." Kaitlyn said and they started running down the road towards the camp.

IT WAS DARK BY THE TIME THEY EVEN GOT NEAR CAMP. Then screams broke through the tense air, it was a woman screaming. More and more screams broke out then gunshots. "Oh my god." Rick whispered.

"Go! Go!" Glenn yelled and they all pushed into double time. The broke into camp to find it in a state of frenzy. Walkers and people alike all mixed together and running in different directions. They didn't waste any time. Kaitlyn ran towards the nearest walker and fired. The bullet found its mark, but the kick back slammed into Kaitlyn's unprepared shoulder. "Shit!" She whispered but continued to shoot. This time she was more prepared as she aimed and fired. One. Two. Three down and still so many to go. A walker started to charge, and Kaitlyn aimed but when she pressed the trigger she was rewarded with a hollow clicking sound. She dropped the shotgun and pulled the pistol from her back pocket. She aimed and fired, taking the walker out.

Finally the gun shot's died down. "Dad!"

"Carl!" Rick was holding a sobbing Carl in his arms. Everyone else was looking hysterical; Glenn was pacing back in forth breathing heavily and T-dog was repeating "Oh, man." Over and over. Kaitlyn tucked the pistol back in her pants and made her way up to the RV. That's when she saw Andrea crouched over her little sister Amy's bloodied body. Kaitlyn took a sharp inhale. "Amy?" Andrea questioned. "Amy! AMY! AMY!" She began to shake Andrea's dead body, sobbing loudly.

Kaitlyn looked on with wide eyes. She did notice Daryl beside her until he spoke. "Damn." Was all he said.

"Yeah. Damn." Kaitlyn agreed.


	13. Chapter 13-CDC

**A/N: So here it is, it turned out to be 4,000+ words!(Minus the A/N) But, once again, thanks for reading and reviewing, it means a lot!**

No one slept the entire night out of fear. When light finally came they started the process of cleaning camp. Kaitlyn, Brittany, and Sparky had been working together for the entire morning. They were separating the bodies into two piles; one for their people, another for walkers. Kaitlyn threw a wayward glance at Andrea who was still sitting next to Amy's body. "Someone should go talk to her." Sparky said.

"I'll do it." Lori said as she came up behind them then headed to talk to Andrea. Kaitlyn and the girls started back to work carrying the bodies that the others had made sure were dead to the respective piles. They carried one of the walker bodies to the pile near the fire and dropped it. Kaitlyn stood and arched her back then wiped the sweat from her face with her forearm. The intense heat wasn't helping anything. "Hey, over here." Rick called to them and they all walked over to where Rick, Shane, Daryl Dale, Lori, and Carol were grouped. "Y'all can't be serious." Daryl was saying. "Let that girl hamstring us?" He had a pickaxe perched over his shoulder. "The dead girl's a time bomb."

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked.

"Take the shot." Daryl said as if it was obvious what to do. "Clean, in the brain from here. Hell I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

"No. For god's sakes, let her be." Lori said.

Everyone stood in silence for a moment, looking at one another. Daryl took a few steps back. "You agree with me, don't you?" He asked Kaitlyn.

"I think something needs to be done." She answered. "But just shooting her sister in the head from here seems a bit cruel, don't you think."

Daryl just scoffed and walked away. "You asked." Kaitlyn called after him.

"Wake up Jimbo. We've got some work to do." Daryl said as he passed a distracted looking Jim. Kaitlyn turned to Brittany and Sparky to start back to work. They pulled one of their own, a young girl with brown hair, towards the pile of people to be buried. "WE DON'T BURN THEM!" Glenn yelled from by the fire where Daryl and Morales had the body of a man from camp.

"You reap what you sow!" Daryl called to Glenn.

"You know what? Shut up, man." Morales snapped.

"Y'all left my brother for dead!" Daryl yelled. "You had this coming!" He pointed at the pile of dead people. He stalked off angrily towards the tents. Kaitlyn followed him even though she knew the hope of him cooperating was slim.

"Hey." She said as she entered their shared tent. He was standing with his back to her and didn't reply.

"Look, I know that you're not a very social person, and that you don't really like these people, but they gave us a place to stay, so the least you can do is try."

"They left my brother." Daryl said quietly, though he didn't sound calm.

"Did you forget that I was there too? I don't agree with what Rick did, not completely, but everyone had full intentions to bring him back. They volunteered to go back for him without a second thought, doesn't that count for something? Not the mention the fact that they've been really patient with your hateful ass ever since you got here. Hell, we may have all died if they didn't agree to let us stay here. We were just three more mouths to feed. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Daryl? " She stopped, feeling like she was talking to a wall. "You know what? Whatever. Sit in here and pout, I don't care."

She turned and walked out of the tent huffily but heard Daryl follow. She smiled a bit, hoping that she was beginning to get to him. "A walker got him!" Jacquie screamed. "A walker got Jim!" Kaitlyn turned to Daryl and they both ran back to where a terrified Jim was backing away, being circled by the others. "I'm ok." He whispered.

"Show it to us." Daryl demanded. Jim's eyes widened and he bent over, picking up a shovel.

"Easy Jim." Someone warned.

"Grab him." Daryl said.

"Jim, put it down." Shane instructed. T-dog snuck up behind Jim and grabbed him under the arms, causing him to drop the shovel. "I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim was whispering, though out of breath. Daryl dropped his pick axe and dashed up to Jim then lifted his shirt. A fresh, red bite mark was on his stomach. Everyone backed away a few steps and Brittany's hand drifted towards her belted tomahawk. Sparky's grip on her bat tightened.

"I'm okay." Jim was repeating over and over as everyone stared at him. Daryl bent over and picked his pickaxe up off the ground, eyes trained on Jim.

"I SAY WE PUT A PICAXE TO HIS HEAD." DARYL SAID to the group as they sat huddled around the fire pit. "And the dead girl's and be done with it."

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it." Daryl replied without hesitation. Kaitlyn looked up at him from where she sat on the ground and wondered for a moment if she would be able to bring herself to kill Daryl if, god forbid, he got bit. Same with Brittany or Sparky. She pondered if that was what she would want. Surely a quick death would be better than letting the disease ravage your body, and then come back later as a mindless killing machine.

"I hate to say it, I never thought I would," Dale spoke up. "But maybe Daryl's right."

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog."

"I'm not suggesting-"

"He's a sick man." Rick interrupted. "We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"

"The line's pretty clear." Daryl said. "Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be."

"What if we can get him help?" Rick suggested. "I heard the C.D.C was working on a cure."

"I heard that too." Shane said. "I heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"Yeah. " Sparky said. "Just look at Atlanta, that was supposed to be safe, but we all know how that turned out."

"Turned out to be shit." Brittany looked around the group.

"What if the C.D.C's still up and running?" Rick asked.

"Man, that is a stretch right there." Shane said.

"Why?" Rick questioned. "If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection-"

"Okay, Rick, you want all those things, all right?" Shane interjected. "I do to, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning."

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction." Sparky said.

"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone." Shane explained. "Now listen to me. If that place is operational it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

"The military were on the front lines of this thing." Rick said. "They got overrun. We've all seen that. The C.D.C is our best choice and Jim's only chance."

Daryl shot a glance back at Jim who was sitting somberly by the RV. "You go lookin' for aspirin. Do what you need to do." He said quietly. He turned and started for Jim, raising his pickaxe. "Someone needs to have the balls to take care of this damn problem!" He yelled.

"Hey hey hey!" Rick barked, put his gun to Daryl's head. Daryl froze, his pickaxe hovering over his shoulder, eyes still focused on Jim. "We don't kill the living." Rick said sternly. Shane stepped in between Daryl and Jim. Daryl lowered his pickaxe and looked at Rick. "That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head. " He said in a low voice.

"We may disagree on some things," Shane said. "Not this. You put it down. Go on." Daryl slammed the pickaxe to the ground and stalked off once again. Kaitlyn stood, dusted the dirt off the back of her jeans, and went after him. She grabbed his wrist and spun him around. He huffed and looked at her. "You gonna give me another lecture?" He asked.

"Only if I have to. Maybe if you'd listen. One of these days Rick might actually shoot you if you keep giving him reasons."

"Why should I care? It's none of his business what I do."

"Well, when you're trying to kill someone-"

"He's been bit!" Daryl yelled exasperatedly.

"I understand that." Kaitlyn said, trying to keep herself calm.

"What, you don't agree that we should take him out before he can hurt someone?" Daryl asked incredulously.

"I think that it would be kinder to put him out of his misery. From what I've heard the disease is a bitch. I don't think I'd want to suffer through that." She said.

Daryl swallowed and looked into Kaitlyn's eyes. "Can you promise me something?" He asked.

"Depends." Kaitlyn replied skeptically.

"If I get bit, will you promise to kill me?" He asked.

"Daryl-"

"No, I don't want to become one of those, those things. Promise me, please." He pleaded.

"Ok. I promise." Kaitlyn finally answered. "But you have to promise you'll do the same for me."

He nodded. "Yeah, promise."

"Pinkie promise?" Kaitlyn asked.

"What? What are we four?" He shook his head.

"Pinkie promise or no deal." She held her pinkie out.

"Really?" He asked. Kaitlyn held his gaze and didn't move. "Fine." He locked his pinkie around hers. She smiled and nodded once.

"Let's get back." She suggested.

"All right. But next time we make a deal, we spit shake on it." He said as they started walking back.

"Gross!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, pushing Daryl's arm lightly. She looked up and he had a small grin on his face. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure that she had ever seen him smile. As soon as they were back in camp his smile disappeared and he was back to his normal loathsome self. He headed over to the pile of dead bodies and began to drive the pickaxe into the heads. One by one like clockwork.

Kaitlyn headed back towards the fire pit when she noticed movement from the RV. She turned and saw Amy sitting up, holding onto Andrea's hair tightly. Kaitlyn let out a sad breath. _"Poor Andrea."_ She thought. Shane and Rick started to approach, ready to draw their guns. Andrea whispered something to Amy then pulled out her pistol and shot straight through Amy's head. Amy's body fell limp again and hit the ground. Andrea lowered her gun and continued to hold onto Amy, not crying, but her heartbrokenness was clear to see. Kaitlyn walked over to sit next to Brittany and Sparky.

"Man that sucks." Sparky said.

"Yeah, poor Andrea." Brittany agreed.

"Kaitlyn." Daryl called.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"I'm gonna drive these bodies up to where they're getting' buried, do you want to come?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied. "Right when I sit down." She muttered as she climbed to her feet. Daryl, Glenn and T-dog had already loaded the bodies in the back of the pickup. Kaitlyn climbed into the passenger side seat. Daryl started the ignition up and started to back up. He drove up to the burial site in reverse. When they arrived they climbed out. Rick and Shane were already there, burying the bodies.

"I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies." Daryl said. "It's what we said we'd do, right?" The rest of the camp was now walking up to help with taking care of it all. "Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?"

"At first." Shane said.

"The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know, who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are." Daryl argued.

"There are no rules." Rick said.

"Well, that's a problem." Lori said. "We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." She turned and walked away.

"I guess she didn't realize the world ended, ain't nothin' the same anymore." Daryl muttered.

Regardless they started to bury the bodies. Eventually they were all underground except one; Amy's. However, Andrea insisted on doing herself. Every time someone tried to help she would yell that she could do it herself. Kaitlyn shook her head gloomily at the grieving sister.

Once everyone was buried, they all headed back to camp. Kaitlyn and Daryl sat down together on a log a little ways off from the rest. "So, what do you think about all this C.D.C business?" She asked.

"I don't know, sounds like it could be a good idea, but what if the place is overrun?"

"That's what I was thinking, but it does sound like our best bet."

Kaitlyn cocked her head at Daryl for a moment. "What?" He asked.

"Did you change shirts?" she asked taking in the green shirt he now wore.

"Yeah, after you guys left for Atlanta." He said. Kaitlyn nodded slowly. "Why?" He asked.

"Just wondering, what did you do with your old shirt?" She asked.

"Still go it, why is this so important?"

"It's not. Just small talk I guess." She said. He nodded.

"Well, no matter what Rick and Shane decide on, we can't stay here. It's not safe." He told her.

"Yeah, that's for sure."

"I'm going to go to the tent, try and get our stuff together." He said, rising.

"Oh, do you want me to help?" She asked.

"No, I'll do it alone." He replied.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"All right then." Kaitlyn also rose from the log but instead she walked over to where Sparky and Brittany were seated. "Hey guys." She said. They both acknowledged her with a nod. "So what about you guys, what're you thinking about this C.D.C talk?"

"I think it sounds like a logical plan." Sparky said.

"I think so too, it sounds like our best bet for certain." Brittany agreed.

"Cool, that's what Daryl and I were thinking." Kaitlyn said.

Shane and Rick returned from the woods and approached the group. "I've been thinking about Rick's plan." Shane addressed them all. Daryl came back from the tent and stood opposite Kaitlyn and the girls. He was wearing the plaid shirt that he had been wearing when they first met.

"Now look," Shane said as Rick knelt down in front of them all "there are no, there are no guarantees either way. I'll be the first to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So, for those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?" He asked. Everyone nodded and then Shane walked away.

Daryl walked over to Kaitlyn. "So, you in?" He asked.

"For sure." She replied.

"Well, we're gonna have to get up early and it's getting late, think we should go on to sleep?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She held her hand out for him to pull her up and he took it, hauling her to her feet. They walked to their tent and went inside. It was much cleaner now, all that was left was the blankets and two bags filled with their things. On Kaitlyn's blanket was her jacket, green shirt and black tank top, all folded neatly. "Is that a hint?" She asked.

"What?" Daryl inquired.

"The clothes."

"What do you mean?"

"All right, play dumb." She said. "But if I'm going to change you're gonna have to leave."

"Relax, I ain't lookin'." He said as he began ruffling through one of the bags.

"Okay then." She said. She quickly slipped the black tank top with the cross on the front over her head and then pulled on the black one. She then slipped her green shirt over her head. "Done." She said. "Hey, do you-" She turned to ask him a question, but he was already under his blanket possible asleep. Kaitlyn just shook her head and laid down herself. She fell asleep easy, despite the nerves about what the next day, and the trip to the C.D.C would mean.

THE NEXT MORNING THEY WOKE UP EXTRA EARLY. They packed as many things as they could into each car. Daryl, with some help from T-dog and Morales, managed to get Merle's motorcycle into the back of the flatbed truck. Just after dawn everything was finally together and everyone grouped up near the cars to leave. "All right everybody, listen up." Shane called. "Those of you with C.B.s we're gonna be on channel forty. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

"We're uh, we're not going." Morales said.

"We have family in Birmingham." His wife said. "We wanna be with our people."

"You go on your own; you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane warned.

"We'll take the chance." Morales said "I gotta do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"We talked about it. We're sure." Morales said.

"All right, Shane." Rick said.

"Yeah." Shane whispered.

Daryl was standing next to Kaitlyn, biting his nails uninterestedly. Rick handed Morales a gun and some ammunition. "The box is half full." Shane said. Daryl scoffed and turned in a circle, clearly unhappy with the thought of giving away more guns and ammo. Kaitlyn smacked his arm with the back of her hand and gave him a stern look. The family started to hug their friends and Morales shook everyone's hands. The family walked away towards their car to leave. "Let's go. Let's move out." Shane instructed. Kaitlyn and Daryl climbed into the truck and Daryl started the engine.

They pulled off onto the road. They rode for miles without a single word. Though the silence wasn't awkward, they were too close for that now. It was more peaceful, though Daryl looked anything but peaceful. She could tell that he was not too optimistic about leaving, and she knew why; Merle. He could easily come back and find the camp empty. Up ahead the RV slowed to a stop and Daryl slammed on the brakes. "What the hell?" He asked.

"I don't know, let's go find out." Kaitlyn said.

She exited the truck and walked towards the RV, Daryl close behind.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose." Dale said as they approached. "I said I needed the one from the Cube van."

"Can you Jury-rig it?" Rick asked.

"That's all it's been so far." Dale replied "It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape."

"I see somethin' up ahead." Shane said. "A gas station if we're lucky."

"Y'all, Jim." Jacqui came running from the RV. "It's bad; I don't think he can take anymore."

"Hey Rick, you wanna hold down the fort?" Shane asked. "I'll drive ahead; see what I can bring back?"

"Yeah, I'll come along too, and I'll back you up." T-dog said.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." Shane said before he and T-dog climbed into Shane's jeep and headed off.

"Man, I don't like this." Daryl said, holding his crossbow.

"Don't like what?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Keeping Jim alive, what if he turns and bites someone?"

"But, he'll die first, right? So if he passes, then we can just destroy his brain, get it over with." She said.

"I guess, but I still don't like it."

Not too long after, Shane and T-dog returned and joined the group but before they could report what they had found Rick came out of the RV looking grave. "Jim wants to be left behind." He said.

"What?" Sparky asked. "That's insane."

"It's what he said he wants." Rick told her.

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked.

"He seems to be." Rick replied. "I would say yes."

"Back in the camp, when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim, what he wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here? We take off?" Shane asked. "Man, I'm not sure I could live with that."

"It's not your call." Lori said. "Either one of you."

Shane and Rick carried Jim up the hill and sat him next to a tree. Kaitlyn and Daryl waited as they talked to him for a while then returned. "Let's go." Rick said quietly. They all returned to their vehicles and took off down the road.

THE SUN WAS ALMOST SET WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE C.D.C. They all pulled up in line and hopped out of the vehicles. Kaitlyn pulled her bow off her back and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. Daryl had his crossbow readied by the time they met with the group. There were bodies everywhere, most of them in military uniforms; not an encouraging sight. The stench was almost enough to make Kaitlyn vomit. Shane was in the front, pushing everyone to proceed on towards the big building. They quickly worked their way up towards a big metal door in the front of the building. Rick rattled it but nothing happened. Shane pounded on the door. "There's nobody here." T-dog said.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick asked.

"Walkers!" Daryl yelled. Kaitlyn turned to see some walkers headed their way. Daryl stepped forward and aimed his crossbow. He fired and took the walker out then turned on Rick. "You led us into a graveyard!"

"He made a call." Shane said.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl yelled.

"Just shut up, you hear me? Shut up. SHUT UP!" Shane barked, pushing Daryl back. "Rick this is a dead end."

"Where are we gonna go?" Sparky asked.

"Do you hear me? No blame."

"She's right. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark." Lori said.

"Fort Benning, Rick, it's still an option." Shane said.

"On what?" Andrea asked. "No food, no fuel. That's a hundred miles."

"A hundred and twenty-five." Glenn corrected. "I checked the map."

"Forget Fort Benning we need answers tonight, now." Lori pressed.

"We'll think of something!" Rick answered.

"Let's get out of here." Shane urged everyone back.

"The camera, it moved!" Rick exclaimed.

"You imagined it." Dale said.

"It moved." Rick insisted.

Shane tried to convince him to go, but Rick started banging on the door. "Rick, there's nobody here!" Lori shrieked.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me!" Rick yelled. "Please, we're desperate. Please help us; we have women, children, no food, and hardly any gas left."

"There's nobody here!" Lori cried, trying to push Rick back.

"We have nowhere else to go!" He pleaded. "If you don't let us in your killing us!"

Kaitlyn focused her bow on a walker that was started to get close. She aimed and released, taking it down. Shane grabbed Rick and started to pull him back. "Please!" Rick yelled.

Another walker neared them. The frenzy around Kaitlyn made it hard to focus, but she finally got it lined up, just as she went to fire though, someone bumped into her. "Watch it!" She snapped as the arrow flew right past the walker.

"YOU'RE KILLING US! YOU'RE KILLING US!" He continued to scream. Suddenly the metal door slid up and a burst of light filled the area. They all turned and stared at it. It hissed for a moment, like something from a Sci-Fi movie.


	14. Chapter 14-Hangovers and HITs

**A/N: So here is number 14, this one concludes the first season, however, I planned on kind of running seasons one and two together, so...yeah. I hope you enjoy and thanks for all the reviews/reading! The next chapter won't be out until Monday, sorry, but I'll see ya then!**

They stared at the opened door for a moment before anyone even breathed. "Daryl, you cover the back." Shane instructed. Daryl turned and walked backwards as they all entered the building weapons at the ready. "Hello?" Rick called. "Hello?"

"Close those doors. Watch for Walkers." Someone was saying. They all stood in silence, looking around the large, and empty, entrance to the CDC.

"Hello?" Rick called again. From a head a gun cocked. Everyone turned and aimed their weapons in that direction. Standing there was a man with sandy blonde hair and a gun, pointing at the group.

"Anybody infected?" He yelled.

"One of our group was." Rick said. "He didn't make it."

"Why are you here? What do you want?" The man asked.

"A chance." Rick replied.

"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man said.

"I know." Rick told him. The place fell silent again as the man looked over their group, and they all stared back at him.

"You all submit to a blood test." He said. "That's the price of admission."

"We can do that." Rick nodded.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes it stays closed." Daryl, Rick, Glenn, and Shane all ran out to grab their bags and Kaitlyn stood near the door, bow ready. Once they brought everything in T-dog and Dale pulled the glass doors shut.

The man who had let them in leaned up against the wall near a small grey box. "Vi," He said. "Seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here." Suddenly the metal shutters came down again and hit the ground with a clang.

Rick held out his hand to the man. "Rick Grimes." He introduced himself.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner." The man replied. He led them to a large elevator that they all crowded into. "Here," Daryl whispered, slipping one of the bags he had onto Kaitlyn's shoulder. It was quiet as they rode down; the only sound was the hum of the elevator. "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl broke the silence, referring to the large military gun in Dr. Jenner's hands.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." Dr. Jenner replied. "But you look harmless enough. Except you." He nodded towards Carl. "I'll have to keep my eye on you." He chuckled to himself as the elevator clanged to a stop. He led them out to a long white hallway lined with doors. "Are we underground?" Carol asked.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Dr. Jenner asked.

"A little." Carol replied.

"Try not to think about it." He advised lightly. "Vi, bring up the lights in the big room" He called, leading them out of the hallway. Suddenly lights blared to reveal a large room with a circular platform filled with computers. "Welcome to zone five." Jenner said, walking down a ramp towards the computers.

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked. "The other doctors, the staff."

"I'm it." Jenner replied. "It's just me here."

"What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asked. "Vi?"

"Vi, say hello to our guests." Jenner said loudly. "Tell them…Welcome."

"Hello guests. Welcome." A computer voice sounded overhead.

"I'm all that's left." Jenner said more quiet. "I'm sorry." He looked around the group before turning and gesturing for them to follow. "This way." They were led into a sort of meeting room where Dr. Jenner started drawing blood from each of them. Kaitlyn and Daryl stood together near the wall, waiting for their turn. Daryl was fidgeting a lot, moving back and forth from foot to foot and taking shaky breaths.

"What is your problem?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Me? I don't have a problem." Daryl answered.

"Are you afraid of needles or something."

"What no!" He replied just a little too quickly.

"You are." Kaitlyn said.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are. It's not that bad, I promise."

"And you would know?" He asked.

"Yes. I've had blood drawn before, hell; I used to donate twice a year."

"Next." Jenner called and Jacquie walked up to the table that he had set up.

"And I'm not afraid of needles; I just don't like the idea of some random guy stabbing my veins."

"Okay, if you say so." Kaitlyn said before Jenner called for the next person and she walked up to the table. They all had their blood drawn and Andrea was last. When she stood she faltered a bit. "You okay?" Jenner asked.

"She hasn't eaten in days." Jacquie told him. "None of us have."

THEY WERE ALL GATHERED AROUND A LARGE TABLE, EATING AND LAUGING LOUDLY. Not only had Dr. Jenner brought out a large meal for them, he also brought wine, lots of it. Daryl stood leaning against a counter drinking straight from one of the wine bottles. "You know." Dale called over everyone. "In Italy, children have a glass of wine with dinner. And in France."

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France then he can have some."

"Aw, come on. What's it gonna hurt?" Rick asked.

"Alright." Lori threw her hands up defeated. Everyone quieted for a moment as Dale poured some wine into Carl's cup. "There you are young lad."

Carl lifted the cup to his mouth and took a drink. His face contorted and he slammed the cup down. "Eww!"

Everyone burst out into laughter again as they sat around. Kaitlyn sat between Brittany and Sparky, laughing and drinking from a glass. "Just stick to soda pop there, bud." Shane said.

"Not you Glenn." Daryl said.

Glenn looked up from the unopened bottle of wine he was holding. "What?" He laughed.

"Keep drinkin', little man. I wanna see how red your face can get." Everyone started laughing again.

"Daryl." Kaitlyn pointed at her glass and he poured some of the wine into it. From the opposite side of the table the sound of metal on glass rang out. Rick was standing up, tapping his glass. "It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly."

"HE is more than just our host." T-dog said, though it was a bit slurred."

"Here here." People began saying and raising their glasses.

"Booyah!" Daryl yelled

"Booyah!" Others echoed.

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc?" Shane asked somberly. "All the, uh, other doctors that were supposed to figuring out what happened, where are they?"

"We're celebrating, Shane." Rick said. "Don't need to do this now."

"Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right? This was your move, supposed to find all the answers. Instead we, uh, we found him." Shane scoffed and pointed at Dr. Jenner. "Found one man, why?"

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left, went off to be with their families." Jenner explained. "And, when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane asked.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door. They," He paused, "opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave." Andrea pointed out. "Why?"

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good." Jenner replied.

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man." Glenn said to Shane.

They finished eating and drinking before Jenner lead them down to a narrow corridor, once again lined with doors, though this time they were single ones. "Most of the facility is powered down." He said. "Including housing, so you'll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like." He pointed on towards the end of the corridor. "There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just, don't plug in the videogames, okay?" he turned and bent over in front of the nodding Carl and Sophia. "Or anything that draws power the same applies. If you shower go easy on the hot water. Glenn turned and smiled widely. "Hot water?" He asked.

"That's what the man said." T-dog grinned back.

Everyone spilt and picked themselves a room. Some had beds while others had fold out couches instead. Kaitlyn was lucky enough to get one of the rooms with a bed and she dropped her bag in the floor before heading straight for the bathroom. She smiled at the shower excitedly before undressing and climbing in. She turned the water on as hot as she could. The water felt so good, and paired with the buzz she was getting from all the wine made her feel as if she were on cloud nine. She quickly washed her hair and body, heading Jenner's warning to go easy. She withdrew from the shower and redressed herself.

She came into her room and sighed. She smiled, glad that they had decided on the CDC. She decided to head to the kitchen for some more wine. She padded barefoot on the carpeted floor then onto the tiled floor of the kitchen. When she entered she found Rick going through the cabinets. He turned when she entered and smiled. "I'm gonna guess you're here for this too?" he asked, holding a bottle of wine.

"You guessed right." She said. He pulled another bottle from the cabinet and they both headed back towards where everyone was staying. "Um, do you know which room is Daryl's" She asked.

"I'm pretty sure he's in that one." Rick pointed to an open door.

"Okay, thanks." He nodded and headed down the hallway. Kaitlyn approached the door just as Daryl exited the bathroom. She noticed the he was walking odd, as if in discomfort. "Knock, knock." She said, rapping on the open door.

"Hey." He said as he hobbled towards the center of the room.

"What's wrong?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Nothing." He responded.

"Look, I'm not stupid, are you hurt?"

"I guess it's just from the other day when those assholes beat me with that bat." He finally admitted.

"Take it off." Kaitlyn demanded.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Your shirt, take it off." She clarified. He looked at her skeptically but pulled his shirt over his head.

"Turn." She instructed as she walked towards him. She sat the bottle of wine on the nightstand as he obliged and Kaitlyn looked over his back. Multiple large bruises covered his back and left hip. "Damn." She whispered. She touched his back lightly and he winced. "Sorry." She muttered. She carefully turned him back to face her and checked the front of his upper body. It wasn't bruised as badly. She looked up but he adverted his gaze as soon as their eyes met. "Ok, I'm done." She said. He turned back to her, but didn't bother with his shirt. "Well, I guess there's not much I can do about that, but I do have this." She picked the bottle back up and showed it to him.

"That'll do." He said taking the bottle and opening it.

"So, I guess this place wasn't a bust, huh?" She asked.

"I guess not. Food, beds, alcohol. Sounds like my dream home." He said.

They passed the bottle back and forth until they had drained it, talking lightly in between. When they finally finished it Kaitlyn rose to her feet. "Man, we're all gonna be so hungover tomorrow." Daryl moaned, though he didn't look disappointed.

"Yeah, speak for yourself." Kaitlyn said as she went to leave Daryl's room. She took one swaying foot step then lurched forward.

Then next thing Kaitlyn knew she was in her room, covered up. She sat up slowly and stretched her arms over her head. She hopped out of the bed smiling then literally skipped down the hallway to the kitchen where Lori, Carl, Shane, Daryl, Dale and Andre were all sitting at the table, looking drained. She smiled as she skipped into the kitchen. "Morning guys!" She said brightly. Everyone looked at her, confused. Glenn had his face in his hands and looking something awful and moaning. Kaitlyn made her way to the fridge and grabbed some orange juice and an apple. When she turned everyone was eyeing her suspiciously. "What?" She asked as she looked for a glass to pour her orange juice into and settled on a Styrofoam cup instead.

"What is wrong with you?" Daryl asked.

"Nothing's wrong with me. " Kaitlyn said merrily, putting the orange juice back.

"You had as much to drink as the rest of us, why aren't you hungover?" Daryl asked.

"Oh, I don't get hungover, just really happy." She replied before heading back out of the kitchen. She pinched Daryl's cheek on the way out and muttered, "Poor Bastards." As she left.

"I'm scared." Daryl said.

"You probably should be." Rick advised.

Kaitlyn bounded back towards her room when she bumped into Brittany and Sparky. "Oh, hey guys." She said happily.

"Hey." Hey sparky replied with as much emotion as a boulder.

"So," Brittany nudged Kaitlyn's arm. "What were you doing in _Daryl's_ room so late?"

"We had some more wine and then…Well then I think I passed out."

"So that's why he carried you to your room." Sparky said giving Brittany a knowing look that Kaitlyn didn't catch.

"He carried me?" She asked.

"Mmmhhmmm." Brittany replied before she and Sparky headed off to the kitchen.

A few minutes later everyone was in the kitchen, including Kaitlyn, who was now drinking coffee, when Dr. Jenner arrived.

"Morning."

"Morning Doc." They called.

"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing-"

"But you will anyways." Jenner said lightheartedly as he poured himself some coffee.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Brittany said.

THEY ALL GROUPED BACK IN THE LARGE ROOM WITH THE COMPUTERES. Dr. Jenner walked up to one of the computers and pressed a button. "Give me playback of TS-19." He commanded.

"Playback of TS-19." Vi said.

Kaitlyn sat down at one of the chairs behind a computer, Brittany and sparky sat down next to her. Daryl stood alone a little way off.

"Few people ever go to see this." Jenner informed them. "Very few."

On a large screen at the front of the room images were being projected. "Is that a brain?" Carl asked.

"An extraordinary one." Jenner replied. "Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for E.I.V."

"Enhanced Internal View." Vi said as the image changed on the screen, now showing a profiled close up of the brain. Hundreds of blue web like structures were visible and bright lights pulsed through them all.

"What're those light?" Brittan asked.

"It's a person's life." Jenner explained. "Experiences, memories, it's everything. Somewhere, in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you." Jenner turned, a fascinated smile on his face. "The thing that makes you, unique. And human."

"You don't make sense ever?" Daryl asked.

"Those are synapses." Dr. Jenner said, pointing at the screen. "Electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death."

"Death?" Rick asked. "That's what this is, a vigil?"

"Yes." Jenner murmured. "Or rather the playback of the vigil." He corrected.

"This person died?" Andrea asked. "Who?"

"Test Subject 19." Jenner said. "Someone who was bitten and infected…And volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event." The screen changed again, zooming back out. There were far less synapses and a large black spot had appeared near the center.

"What is that?" Glenn asked. Kaitlyn rose from her seat and stepped around the computers for a better look.

"It invades the brain like meningitis." Dr. Jenner informed them. "The Adrenal glands hemorrhages." The x-ray version of the person on screen began to breathe heavily and squirm around. "The brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs." The figure on the screen suddenly stopped moving and all light disappeared from the synapses. "Then death. Everything you ever were, or ever will be, gone."

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked.

"Yes." Carol told her.

Andrea sniffed and looked away. Jenner turned and looked at her curiously. "She lost somebody two days ago." Lori said. "Her sister."

"I lost somebody too; I know how devastating it is." Jenner said, leaning in closer to Andrea. He turned back to the screen. "Scan to the second event." He said.

"Scanning to second event." Vi said.

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We have reports of it happening in less than three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute, seven seconds." Jenner kept his eyes on the screen as he talked and from the bottom center of the brain, red lights began to show up.

"It restarts the brain?" Sparky asked.

"No, just the brain stem." Jenner told her. "Basically it gets them up and moving. "

"But, they're not alive?" Rick asked.

"You tell me." Jenner said, pointing loosely at the screen.

"It's nothing like before." Rick observed. "Most of that brain is dark."

"Dark, lifeless, dead." Jenner said. "The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part. That doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct." The person on screen was starting to move again then from the top of the screen came a blast of light that left a thick line through the patient's brain.

"God, what was that?" Brittany asked.

"He shot his patient in the head." Andrea said. "Didn't you?"

"Vi, power down the main screen and the work stations." Jenner instructed as he turned away.

"Powering down main screen and work stations." Vi said.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, and fungal."

"Or the wrath of God." Jacquie added.

"There is that." Jenner agreed.

"Somebody must know something." Andrea insisted. "Somebody, somewhere."

"There are others right?" Carol asked. "Other facilities?"

"There may be some." Jenner replied. "People like me."

"But you don't know? How can you not know?" Rick questioned.

"Everything went down." Jenner told him. "Communications, directives, all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it's not just here?" Andrea asked. "There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That's what you're really saying, right?" Everyone stared at Jenner for a moment. "Jesus." Jacquie breathed.

"Man, I'm gonna get shitfaced drunk again." Daryl said, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but, that clock," Dale pointed to a large digital clock on the wall, "It's counting down. What happens at zero?"

"The basement generators. They run out of fuel." Jenner said quickly.

"And then?" Rick asked, but Jenner just walked away, refusing to answer. "Vi," Rick called, "What happens when the power runs out?"

"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." Vi answered.

"We need to go check the basement." Rick said. He, Shane, T-dog, and Glenn all headed off.

Kaitlyn and the rest stayed behind. "What does 'facility-wide decontamination mean?" She wondered aloud.

"Heck if I know." Brittany said. Eventually everyone wandered off to their rooms; Kaitlyn sat down on her bed. She had kept all of her things folded in her bag. She knew everyone else had probably unpacked, but for some reason, she just didn't feel the need to. She sighed and began to play with her locket when the light went off. She looked around the room. Maybe the light had just blown? She stepped out into the hallway the same time everyone else began to emerge from their rooms. Dr. Jenner was walking down the hallway wearing a white lab coat. "Why is the air off?" Brittany asked. "And the lights in our room?"

"Hey, what's goin' on, why is everything turned off?" Daryl asked leaning out of his room, a bottle of liquor in hand. Jenner swiped it from him as he passed.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner explained as he continued walking. Everyone began to follow him, but something about him seemed off.

"Air isn't a priority? And light?" Dale asked.

"It's not up to me." Jenner said. "Zone five is shutting itself down."

"Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?" Daryl called after him. Jenner just continued to walk purposefully. "Hey, man, I'm talkin' to you." Daryl said, running up beside Jenner. "What do you mean it's shuttin' itself down? How can a building do anything?"

"You'd be surprised." Jenner simply stated.

"Rick!" Lori exclaimed as Rick, Glenn, T-dog, and Shane all came running into the main room.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick asked.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power. It's designed to keep the power running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half hour mark. Right on schedule." He pointed at the clock which now read 00:31:28. Jenner paused before heading up the three stairs to the computers. Everyone looked at him expectantly. He handed the liquor back to Daryl, who snatched it back ungraciously. "It was the French." Jenner said before climbing the stairs.

"What?" Andrea asked.

"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know." Jenner replied. "While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution."

"What happened?" Sparky asked.

"The same thing that's happening here." Jenner said. "No power grid. Ran out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?"

"Let me tell you something-"Shane jumped up the steps.

"To hell with it, Shane. I don't even care. Lori grab our things. Everybody get your stuff. We're getting out NOW!" Rick barked. Kaitlyn turned and started to run to her room but a loud alarm began to blare. On the main screen a time popped up. "Thirty minutes to decontamination." Vi's voice said.

"Doc, what's goin' on here?" Daryl yelled.

"Everybody, ya'll heard Rick. Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!" Rick yelled.

Then from the door they had first entered a large metal covering ascended. "Did you just lock us in?" Glenn asked. "He just locked us in!" Glenn shouted. Daryl came up the steps and charged at Jenner. "You son of a bitch." Daryl yelled. "You locked us in here!"

"Shane!" Rick yelled.

"No, stop, don't!" Shane shouted. He and T-dog pulled him away from Jenner and Daryl tried to aim his liquor bottle at him. "Stop!" Shane instructed.

"Hey, Jenner, open that door now." Rick ordered.

"There's not point. Everything topside is locked down." Jenner said. "The emergency exits are sealed."

"Well, open the damn things." Rick said.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you, once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that."

"It's better this way." Jenner said.

"What is?" Rick asked. "What happens in twenty eight minutes?" Dr. Jenner just turned and started typing on his keyboard. "What happens in twenty eight minutes?" He demanded, kicking Jenner's chair.

"C'mon!" Daryl yelled.

Jenner stood up and looked angrily at Rick. "You know what his place is!?" He shouted. "We protected the public from VERY. NASTY. STUFF!" He yelled, bringing his face close to Shane's. "WEAPONIZED SMALL POX! EBOLA STRAINS THAT COULD WIPE OUT HALF THE COUNTRY! STUFF YOU DON'T WANT GETTING OUT! EVER!" He stared at everyone before sitting back down at his computer. When he spoke he sounded much calmer. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure-in a terrorist attack, for example- H.I.T.s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"H.I.T.s?" Rick asked.

"Vi, define." Jenner said.

"H.I.T.s-High-impulse thermo baric fuel-air explosives consist of a two stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between five thousand and six thousand degrees and is useful where the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."

"It sets the air on fire." Jenner breathed.

People started crying, Carol began to hold Sophia close. Brittany and Sparky were hugging one another. Kaitlyn looked to Daryl, but he was focused on Jenner, eyes full of anger and distaste. "No pain." Jenner whispered.

"Oh God." Kaitlyn's eyes widened. Was this really the end?

"An end to sorrow, grief, regret. Everything."

DARYL THREW THE LIQUOR BOTTLE AT THE METAL DOOR, GRUNTING WITH THE EFFORT. It smashed everywhere and he turned. "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" He roared.

"Out of my way!" Shane called as he ran at the door with an axe and hit it.

"Daryl!" T-dog tossed Daryl an axe as well and he set to helping Shane beat at the door. Kaitlyn sat with Brittany and Sparky. She had retrieved her bow and now had is shouldered. She just didn't see how that they were going to get out of this one.

"You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier." Jenner said.

"Easier for who?" Lori asked thickly.

"All of you, you know what's out there." Jenner replied. "A short, brutal life and an agonizing death." He turned to Andrea. "Your, your sister, what was her name?"

"Amy." Andrea said.

"Amy." Jenner repeated. "You know what this does. You've seen it. Is that really what you want for your wife and son?" He asked Rick.

"I don't want this!" Rick answered. Shane and Daryl returned from the door both panting heavily.

"Can't make a dent." Shane reported.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said.

"Well, your head ain't!" Daryl yelled raising the axe to swing it.

"Whoa, whoa!" Rick yelled as he and Dale grabbed Daryl.

"Daryl! Daryl" They were yelling. T-dog stepped in and helped, pulling the axe from Daryl's hands. "Just back up!" Rick demanded as he and Dale shove Daryl away from Jenner.

"You _do_ want this." Jenner said. "Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."

"What, you really said that?" Shane asked. "After all your big talk?"

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick asked.

"There is no hope." Jenner said. "There never was."

"There's always hop." Rick breathed. "Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody, somewhere!"

"What part of 'everything is gone' do you not understand?" Andrea asked.

"Listen to your friend, she gets it." Jenner said. "This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."

"This isn't right!" Carol sobbed from the ground where she held Sophia. "You can't just keep us here!"

"One tiny moment, a millisecond, no pain."

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!"

"Wouldn't it be kinder?" Jenner asked. "More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?"

Shane came from around the corner, cocking a shot gun. "Shane no!" Rick yelled.

"Out of the way, Rick." Shane demanded. "Stay out of my way! Open that door." He pointed the gun at Jenner's head. "Or I'm gonna blow your head off. DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

"Brother, brother, this is not the way you do this. We will never get out of here." Rick came close to Shane.

"Shane, you listen to him." Lori said.

"It's too late." Shane whispered.

"If he dies, we all-"Shane screamed in the middle of Rick's sentence and started to shoot the computers, one by one. Rick had to wrestle the gun from his hands and knock him to the ground. "Are you done now? You done?" Rick asked.

"Yeah I guess we all are." Shane retorted.

Everyone stood in absolute silence. Daryl, somehow having acquired another pick axe, looked as if he were ready to blow, again.

"I think you're lying." Rick said

"What?" Jenner asked.

"I think you're lying about no hope." Rick answered. "If that were true you'd have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn't. You chose the hard path. Why?"

"It doesn't matter." Jenner said quietly.

"It does matter." Rick said. "It always matters. You stayed when others ran. Why?"

"Not because I wanted to." Jenner finally answered. "I made a promise." He rose from his chair so that he was the same height as Rick. "To her." He pointed towards the main screen. "My wife." Kaitlyn's eyes widened with realization. "Test subject nineteen was your wife?" Sparky asked.

"She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?" Behind them, Daryl started to hit the door again, though it still showed no signs of yielding. "She was dying. It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field she was an Einstein. Me? I'm just, Edwin Jenner. She could have done something bout this. Not me."

"Your wife didn't have a choice." Rick said. "You do. That's all we want. A choice, a chance."

"Let us keep trying as long as we can." Lori pleaded.

Dr. Jenner looked at the group before turning to the computer. "I told you topside's locked down. I can't open those." He typed something into a small keypad and the door opened. "Come on!" Daryl yelled and started off. "Let's get out of here." Brittany said as she and Sparky headed for the entrance.

"No, I'm stayin'!" Someone cried. Kaitlyn turned back to see Jacquie looking sadly at T-dog.

"That's insane!" He said.

"No it's completely sane. For the first time in a long time. I'm not ending up like Jim and Amy." Shane handed Kaitlyn Daryl's crossbow as they watched Jacquie plead her case. "There's no time to argue, and no point if you want to get out. Just get out. Get out." She pleaded.

"Come on, let's go." Shane said. Kaitlyn turned and ran from the room. They met up with Daryl on the stairs and they all burst out into the large entrance hall together. "Get them doors open!" Shane yelled. They tried the keypad, but nothing happened. Daryl and Shane tried the windows with the axes but nothing. T-dog grabbed a chair and tried, but still the windows didn't surrender. "Get down!" Shane warned. He lifted a high-powered rifle and aimed at the widows, but still the glass didn't succumb. "Jesus." Shane breathed.

"The glass won't break?" Sophia cried.

"Rick," Carole called, "I have something that might help." She started to rustle through her bag urgently.

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane said.

"Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket." She pulled out a grenade and handed it to Rick. He took it and headed towards the window. "Look out!" he warned and everyone got down. Kaitlyn heard him drop the pin then the next thing she knew an explosion went off. She moved her hands to her ears just a little too late and whimpered a bit from pain. Nonetheless she rose with the others and they all climbed out of the window. She readied her bow as soon as her feet hit the ground. She gave Daryl his crossbow and he slung it over his back, opting for the axe instead. "Get to the cars!" Rick instructed. As they ran around five walkers came out. Shane and Rick took most out with their guns, but Daryl lobbed one's head clean off with his axe.

They climbed into the truck and Daryl went to start the ignition. "Wait! There come Dale and Andrea!" Kaitlyn yelled. Rick and Lori started yelling and hocking the RV horn, telling everyone to get down. Kaitlyn and Daryl ducked towards the middle and he protectively put his arms over her head. Then the loudest sound that Kaitlyn had ever heard rang through the area. They didn't dare move until they were sure it was safe. Kaitlyn sat up slowly and looked out the window. The entire C.D.C was rubble now, most of it ash. The fire was so bright that it hurt Kaitlyn's eyes and she had to turn away. They sat still for a few moments before Rick finally pulled the RV out and they all followed, setting out to unknown places and dangers once again.

.


	15. Chapter 15-Returning Home

**A/N: I am so sorry that this one is late, but I was so sick last night that I just couldn't do it. I know that this one is a little shorter, once again my apologies, I'll try and start to make them longer again also! **

After fleeing the C.D.C they headed back towards Atlanta. The group decided on Fort Benning, hoping that some answers may lie there. They readied themselves for the one hundred twenty five mile journey, stocking up on food and fuel. Daryl decided to ditch the truck and just take Merle's motorcycle instead. He pulled up beside Kaitlyn and she climbed on. Daryl pulled up into the front of the group and led the way out onto the highway. The cool wind whipped in Kaitlyn's face and her hair fluttered out behind her. They turned off onto a smaller road and hit some bumpy pavement. She tightened her grip around Daryl's waist as she was jolted on the seat.

They followed the road for a couple of days without stopping except to eat and use the bathroom, the area seemed so familiar to Kaitlyn. One night, up ahead, a large building came into sight and even in the pale twilight Kaitlyn immediately recognized it. It was her old high school. Behind them the RV lights flashed twice, signaling for them to pull over. Everyone pulled up in a line beside the road. Kaitlyn climbed off first and headed to the RV where Brittany, Sparky, T-Dog, Dale, Glenn, Shane, and Andrea were all filing out. Rick, Lori, Carl, Sophia, and Carol followed from their car behind. Daryl came up behind Kaitlyn and stopped. "What's going on?" He asked.

"It's getting late." Rick pointed out. "We need somewhere to stay for the night; I don't feel safe on these roads so close to the city."

Kaitlyn stepped forward timidly. "Actually, I know where we can stay."

"Where?" Shane asked.

"Well, I used to live a few miles down the road. Maybe we could stay at my house? I would really like to see if…If my family is still there." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she looked around the group.

"Yeah, yeah that should work." Rick said finally.

Kaitlyn sighed and smiled. "Thanks." She said.

Everyone returned to their vehicles and started them up. "Turn here." Kaitlyn called over the engine after a few miles of driving. Daryl turned the motorcycle and the others followed. The entered a small residential area and Kaitlyn pointed to the third house. "Here!" she yelled. The all pulled around the house and Dale pulled the RV into the usually empty front driveway while everyone else went around the back. One of the cars was gone, but the other was still parked in the driveway. Kaitlyn wasn't sure whether or not to be relieved at this. Rick pulled the car into the driveway and Daryl parked the motorcycle in the grass. Kaitlyn climbed off and readied her bow, heading for the back door. She, Daryl and Rick reached the door just as Glenn, T-dog, and Shane came around the side of the house. Shane reached for the door but Kaitlyn stopped his hand. "I'll go first." She whispered.

She pulled open the screen door then grabbed the door knob. She tried the knob and it was unlocked. She carefully pushed the creaky door open and led the way inside. The back door opened into the kitchen directly to the left was the laundry room, but it was empty. Kaitlyn pulled back her bowstring as the others followed her in. They passed an open counter that looked out into the empty living room. She gestured for someone to go check the large bedroom to the left and Shane broke from the group with T-dog close behind. Kaitlyn turned right and crept out of the living room and into the narrow hallway. The first door they came to was open and it was the bathroom, which was also empty. She continued a few steps further and stopped. There were three rooms and she motioned for someone to check them out. Daryl took the first one on the right and Rick took the room on the left which stood across from the room that Kaitlyn was opening the door to. She carefully peeked in and stepped through. It was empty. She lowered her bow slowly and let out a shaky breath. A sudden weight on her shoulder startled her and she jumped a bit. "No one found anything." Daryl said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"They're not here." Kaitlyn breathed sadly, looking at the ground. Daryl patted her shoulder once before turning and leaving the room. Kaitlyn took a moment to steel herself before leaving the room and heading back outside where everyone was grouped around Rick's car. She approached the group slowly and crossed her arms as they all looked up to her. "There's a small generator in the laundry room, it's not much but it'll power the lights and stove at least."

"I got it." Glenn said as he dashed back inside.

"Grab your stuff and I'll show everyone around." Everyone grabbed a bag or two and headed inside.

"Space is limited," Kaitlyn told them all as they followed her into the living room "Um. Rick, you, Lori and Carl can all take that room right there." She pointed at the large room where she knew her parents king sized bed was, sure that they wouldn't mind to share a bed. "We've got two extra mattresses under the big bed in the room Rick's in, we can pull those out into the living room." She paused to think a minute. "Dale, Andrea, Shane, and T, you all can work out who gets a mattress and who gets the couches. You," she pointed at Daryl, Glenn, Carol, and Sophia "follow me." She led them all down the hallway towards the three rooms in the back. "Glenn, you can have Devin's room." She pointed at the first door and Glenn ducked in. "Let's see here. Brittany, Sparky, Carol, and Sophia you all can take Emily's room, she has bunk beds in there so you guys can sort it out." She pointed to the room on the left at the left end of the hallway. She sighed and turned to Daryl. "I guess you're stuck with me." She opened the door to the room that she had previously been in and flipped the light switch. It was the same as always, though a bit dustier. She stepped in and deposited her bag and her bow on the laundry covered computer desk. Daryl followed her in and sat his things next to hers.

Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around herself and walked slowly to sit on the queen sized bed. She looked straight ahead, her eyes unfocused. Her family was gone and she still had no clue if they were alive or not. She let out a heavy breath and swallowed. Daryl crossed the room and sat down next to her but she didn't move. "Look, I know it sucks, but at least you know now, right?"

Kaitlyn sniffed a couple of times before speaking. "That's what I would have thought, but I'm not so sure now." She replied thickly. "Besides, I don't know. One of the cars is gone, so maybe they got away, maybe not. I still don't know if they're alive or dead. I just-"She shook her head and closed her eyes tight. She felt Daryl tentatively place his arm around her shoulder. He didn't say anything, but it was enough. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and they just sat for a while before Daryl finally spoke up. "We should probably go to bed."

"Yeah." Kaitlyn nodded as she sat up off Daryl. He kicked off his shoes and kicked his feet up on the bed. Kaitlyn slipped out of her own boots and walked to the light switch. "Daryl," she called quietly.

"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes already closed and one arm behind his head.

"Thanks." She switched the light off and climbed into the bed, lying on the side closest to the wall. She pulled her old blanket that she had used since she was little up to her chin and rolled over onto her side, her back to Daryl and eventually sleep overtook her.

KAITLYN AWOKE EARLY THE NEXT MORING. Pale morning sunlight was creeping through the curtains. Kaitlyn sat up and blinked a few times to try and wake herself. She groggily scanned the room and vaguely wondered if her mother was awake yet, and if she had made breakfast. As she continued to look around the room she noticed the sleeping figure next to her and her heart fell. Her family was gone, and her mother wasn't just down the hall making breakfast. She sighed as she quietly climbed out of the bed and exited the room, carefully shutting the door behind her. She crept past the sleeping figures in the living room and into the kitchen. She stood in the middle of the room for a moment, trying to decide on what to fix everyone for breakfast.

She walked to the refrigerator and nervously opened it. As soon as she pulled it opened she slammed it back shut, gagging from the horrible stench of rotted food. "Well, that's out." She whispered. Instead she walked to a cabinet and pulled it open. She sorted through two shelves of canned food and came out with four cans of canned gravy. "I guess that'll have to do." She said to herself as she turned the stove on and pulled a pot out from a cabinet. She opened all the cans and poured them all in, then grabbed a wooden spoon to stir it with. The next person to wake up was Glenn. He shuffled tiredly into the room and sat down at the counter that overlooked the living room.

"Morning." He said blearily as he placed his face in his hands, his usual hat gone.

"Good morning." Kaitlyn replied as she stirred the gravy some more. Everyone started to slowly wake up one by one and crowd into the kitchen or living room. Eventually the gravy was done and Kaitlyn passed bowls around and grabbed a ladle, trying to keep the portions as even as possible. "Sorry, I know it's not the best," she apologized as she sat the pot back on the stove, "but it's all we've got here."

"Well, food is food." Lori said from where she, Rick, and Carl sat together on one of the couches.

"So," Dale spoke up from the table "what next?"

"Well, I figured we can stay here for a couple days, get our rest then continue on to Fort Benning." Rick replied.

"If we stay here, we're gonna need a way to stay warm at night, it was so cold." Andrea said.

"Really, it wasn't that bad in our room." Rick replied.

"Not in ours either." Sparky said.

"Well, it was cold as hell in the living room." T-dog told them.

"I can go and find some wood and you guys can use the fireplace tonight then." Kaitlyn said and they all nodded appreciatively. When they all finished Carol offered to clean the kitchen and Kaitlyn decided to have quick look through the house for clues as to where her family may have went. She headed down the hallway and went into what used to be Devin's room first. It was still the same. Camo everywhere, different hunting gear, multiple videogame consoles and different shelves covered in a wide variety of videogames. She sighed and headed into Emily's room. The bright purple walls that Kaitlyn had tried to talk her out of were still there, plastered with pictures, some of the family, some of friends, some drawn. On the white bunk bed, Brittany and sparky were sitting together talking. "This sucks!" Sparky complained.

"What sucks?" Kaitlyn asked as she entered the room and sat cross legged in front of the girls.

"I left my bat at the C.D.C." Sparky told her, sighing sadly.

"Here I've got an idea." Kaitlyn said. "Follow me." She led the way out of the room and into her parent's room. Sparky and Brittany followed close behind as Kaitlyn opened up a cabinet and inside were multiple knives and other weapons. Kaitlyn looked around until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a long machete and handed it to Sparky. "How's this?" She asked.

"Great!" Sparky exclaimed taking the weapon in her hand and smiling down at it.

"Cool." Kaitlyn said before heading out and back to her room. She sat down on the bed again and picked a picture up from her dresser. Smiled wistfully at the happy faces. She was bent over, hands on her knees, tongue out, in the middle. On the left was Emily, her long, curly brown hair falling over one shoulder, a pink bow locked onto the side, her hand raised to give Kaitlyn bunny ears. To the right was Devin, his cheeks puffed and pulling his ears back, looking like a monkey. Kaitlyn sighed, hoping that they were alright, her parents as well. A knock came from the door and she saw Daryl standing there. "Wanna go get that wood?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She replied. She placed the picture on the mattress and stood up. She handed Daryl his crossbow and quiver before grabbing her own. She slipped her feet into her boots and followed him outside. She led the way around to the front of the house and towards the forest. Kaitlyn kept her bow shouldered and Daryl kept his crossbow ready.

Kaitlyn dug through the underbrush to try and find the best wood she could. She ended up coming up with only sticks, but it was better than nothing. Once she had a good sized bundle they decided to head back. "So," Daryl asked "is there any alcohol at your house?"

Kaitlyn snorted as they stepped out of the woods and onto the pavement. "I wish, but my parents never kept liquor in the house." They walked in silence for a few moments before Daryl turned to look at Kaitlyn. "That's too bad, you're much more fun when you drunk."

"Excuse me?" she gave him a feigned annoyed face. "You're one to talk 'Mr. Booyah!' "

"At least I didn't take advantage of you when you were drunk; you just wanted to get me undressed." He retorted.

"What!?" Kaitlyn exclaimed.

"Oh, Daryl, take your shirt of so I can look at your bruises, and by bruises I mean hot bod!" He said in a high, mock female voice.

Kaitlyn stopped and looked at him, mouth opened in shock. "I do _not _talk like that!" Then a mischievous smile cracked her face. "You best shut up Daryl Dixon or I'll have to give you a shot." Shot she said before walking on around the house. "Hey, I told you I'm not afraid of needles!" He called after her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She said as she rounded the house and walked towards the door, but something out of the corner of her eye made her stop. A small figure was standing, facing away from her, in the driveway next to Rick's car. The figure was dirty and there was a huge tear in the left arm, most likely from a bite. From the dress Kaitlyn could tell it was a girl, a young one. She had matted brown hair with a dingy pink bow hanging limply from the side. "Oh." Kaitlyn breathed as she dropped the bundle of wood and fell to her knees. "Please no." She begged as the figure turned and her worst nightmare became true.

"No, no!" She wailed. Emily's glassy eyes found her and she snarled quietly as she cocked her head at Kaitlyn. Daryl came skidding around the corner, crossbow raised and stopped behind Kaitlyn. He looked from her to the girl and put two and two together. Kaitlyn had begun to sob uncontrollably and was gasping for breath, the sorrow and terror ripping through her. Daryl shook his head and fired, hitting the little girl right in the forehead. Kaitlyn crawled over to the little body and stroked her face gingerly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered. She closed her eyes and froze for a moment, all was silent. Daryl stepped forward carefully. "Kaitlyn?" he questioned looking worriedly at the kneeling figure on the ground. Her eyes snapped opened and she jumped to her feet and started stumbling back, shrieking at the top of her lungs. As she staggered backwards she toppled towards the ground. Daryl dropped his crossbow and caught her.

"Shh, shh." He comforted as she continued to scream. "Hey, hey." He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Please, you've gotta quiet down."

"What's going on?" Rick yelled as he busted out the door, T-dog, Brittany, Sparky, and Shane right behind him.

"We found her sister." Daryl told him as Kaitlyn finally began to calm down a bit but was still gasping and sobbing.

"Here, get her inside." Sparky said quietly and Kaitlyn felt Daryl rise carefully with her in his arms.

"Hey, who are you?" Brittany questioned.

"Whoa, please don't hurt me!" A male voice begged. Kaitlyn immediately stopped sobbing and snapped her head up.

"Devin?" She questioned. "Devin!" She wrestled herself from Daryl's grip and dropped to the ground. She landed hard on her hands and knees then climbed to her feet and ran to hug the young boy around the neck. They sunk to the ground together and Kaitlyn pulled back, cupping his face in her hands. "You're alive!" She smiled as tears of joy and sadness fell down her cheeks.


	16. Chapter 16-He's Just a Kid

**A/N: So I finally got it done. I'm sorry that this one is also a little shorter, but they'll start to get long again soon, promise! Oh, and once again, thank you for any and all reviews, they make me happy!**

The group was assembled around the soft glow of the fireplace in the living room. Kaitlyn sat next to Devin, her eyes wrapped around him; she hadn't let him go since he had appeared outside earlier. His normally shaggy hair had grown down to his shoulders and it brushed Kaitlyn's face. "So, kid, tell us how you made it so long on your own." Shane said from where he sat next to Rick on the couch.

"Well, after the world went to shit-"

"Devin!" Kaitlyn interjected.

"Sorry, after everything went bad, we tried to keep together, but we needed supplies, so mom and dad went out to go and find some, but they never came back. Me and Emily didn't know where to go, so we just stayed here."

"What happened to her?" Kaitlyn asked quietly. Everyone shifted around uncomfortably, nervous to hear of the young girl's fate.

"After mom and dad left, we were here on our own for probably three weeks and, uh, Emily went out by herself to play one day. I told her not to. I told her but she didn't listen!" He stopped and took a steadying breath. "A bunch of them came through that day. I ran out, I had her hand and, and they just pulled her from me. There was nothing I could do." He finished sadly and looked at the ground. "I was so sorry and I can't help but blame myself. After that, I've stayed around here, hoping mom, dad, or you might come back. Looks like you did." He smiled weakly at Kaitlyn. She tried to smile back, but her answering expression was filled with sadness.

"Well, it's getting late; we should probably all go to sleep. I'm sure Devin is very tired." Rick suggested as he stood up.

"Yeah," Lori agreed. Kaitlyn and Devin stood together and headed back towards the rooms.

"Hey, Kaitlyn," Glenn stopped her. She turned and looked at him expectantly. "I was just wondering, now that your brother is back, where should I sleep seeing as I was in his room?"

"Oh, um, I don't know that there's anywhere left. " Kaitlyn replied quietly.

"You keep the bed." Devin told him. "I've got my little one person air mattress and there's a hand pump somewhere around here."

"Are you sure?" Kaitlyn asked "You can stay in my room."

"Nah, I'm sure. Besides, I wouldn't wanna kick, what's his name, Daryl out." He smirked down at her. Even though he was six whole years younger than her, ever since he had turned fourteen he had been taller than her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

"Well, I mean, it's kind of obvious that you two have a thing." He said.

"We are _not _a 'thing'." Kaitlyn informed him. "We're just friends."

"Oh," Devin looked away from her. "I just assumed. You two are sharing a room."

"Well, I didn't know where else to put him." Kaitlyn replied.

"Ok, whatever, I'm going to go to bed." He told her finally breaking from her arms and heading to his room to retrieve the air mattress.

"Goodnight." She called after him. She walked on into her own room and saw her bow and quiver lying on her old desk. She slipped out of her boots and walked to the bed. She sat down and pulled her feet up, placing her chin on her knees. She had tried to brace herself for the worst, but it didn't help any when the truth came out. Emily was dead, and her parents were most likely gone too. Now all she had left was Devin and she was thankful for that. Her eyes started to sting as tears fought to spill out. Kaitlyn squeezed her eyes closed, refusing to cry.

"Hey." A soft voice said at the door. Kaitlyn turned to see Brittany and Sparky standing in the doorway, looking at her sadly.

"You okay?" Sparky asked.

"No, but I'll get there." She told them reassuringly.

"We're so sorry." Brittany whispered.

"Guys I'm fine. I, I just want some sleep is all." She said.

"Ok, if you're sure." Sparky said, though neither her not Brittany looked entirely convinced. They both turned and left the room together as Daryl squeezed into the room.

"Hey, you-"

"Please, don't ask. I just want to sleep." She climbed under the blanked and laid down without another word. Daryl sighed but turned the lights off and climbed in next to her on the bed. Kaitlyn closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind to sleep, but Emily's sunken, pale face kept filling her thoughts, and the moment when Daryl took the shot, and she toppled to the ground kept replaying. Eventually Kaitlyn managed to find sleep, but it was fitful and not very resting.

WHEN SHE WOKE THE NEXT MORNING SHE WAS THE LAST TO GET UP. She climbed slowly out of the bed, the events of the previous day numb to her. She shuffled slowly into the bustling living room. Devin, who had gotten his hair cut, was talking animatedly to Brittany and Sparky. Kaitlyn envied his ability to move on and be happy again so quickly. She came into the kitchen and sat at the counter. "Here," Lori said, handing her a bowl of the same kind of gravy they had the day before. "It may be a little cold, but we didn't want to wake you."

"Thanks." Kaitlyn said and Lori smiled at her before walking out of the kitchen. Kaitlyn picked up the spoon that was already in the bowl and began to eat the gravy slowly.

Daryl came and sat down next to her, placing his face in one of his heads. "You slept late."

"Well, that's because you let me." Kaitlyn replied distantly.

"Yeah, sorry, but you said you wanted your rest." He said.

"I know thanks." She said, though she was still very detached.

"Hey, everyone, we probably shouldn't stay here much longer, we plan to leave sometime today." Rick said, addressing the group.

"First we wanted to have a look around the area. We need some volunteers, who's in?" Shane asked.

"I'll go." Kaitlyn answered almost immediately.

"Me too," Daryl said.

"Anybody else?" Shane asked.

"I can go." Devin offered.

"No, Devin, you can't go." Kaitlyn told him, locking gazes with him.

"And why not?" He asked.

"Because you're just a kid." She replied, shaking her head.

"I'm not a kid anymore; I can make my own decisions."

"I already lost Emily." She said coldly.

"I'll be fine, I promise I can help. Please?" He begged.

"I just don't like it." Kaitlyn told him.

"Well, whether you like it or not, I want to help." He said.

Kaitlyn sighed and didn't reply as she mulled it over. "Ok, fine." She said finally, though fearing she may regret it later.

AN HOUR LATER THE GROUP WAS GATHERED OUT FRONT. "Ok, so those of you who aren't going, Glenn, Brittany, Bethany, and T-dog, I need you to get the vehicles ready. Get 'em lined up in order a little down the road so that when we get back they'll be ready. Make sure you get everything packed too."

T-dog nodded as Rick tossed him the keys to his car and Daryl reluctantly handed the keys to the motorcycle over to Glenn. "You best be careful with that bike, ya hear?"

The scavenging group headed back the way they had come. Kaitlyn had her bow in hand and a duffle bag strapped over her shoulder with her quiver. She still had the pistol that Rick had given her days ago, though it felt like much longer, tucked safely in the back of her pants. She had considered giving it to Devin, but decided against it, not trusting him with a gun. The quickly went from house to house, scavenging what they could and filling the duffle bag on Kaitlyn's back with water and food and other needed supplies. As they went to finally leave the last house, the first walker, save Emily, they had seen came out. "I got it." Kaitlyn said as she pulled her bowstring back. But then another walker came from behind it, and then another and another. Slowly more and more walkers began to emerge, and they all noticed the group of live flesh directly in front of them. "Run!" Rick instructed. They all turned and ran as fast as they could the opposite direction.

"Daryl and I can't take all of them out, we'd lose all our arrows and it still wouldn't be all of them." Kaitlyn called to Rick and Shane in the front. "And if we use guns we'll just draw more of them out."

"I know," Rick called back "we just need to try and get back to the cars as fast as we can."

"I'll run ahead, let everyone know to get ready to leave." Shane yelled and started to speed up.

"Shane wait!" Kaitlyn exclaimed. "Take this, just in case." She pulled the duffle bag off her shoulder and tossed it to him. He nodded as he caught it the sprinted up ahead. "Come one!" She yelled to everyone and they too tried to outrun he walkers that were gaining ground with every step. Kaitlyn was quickly running out of breath but she still pushed on. She grabbed Devin's had and they ran together as quickly as they could. Finally the house came into sight and Kaitlyn could see everyone else scrambling to get into their vehicles. As they approached the fence Glenn ran over and dropped Daryl's keys in his hand and ran back towards the RV. As Kaitlyn ran she could feel Devin slow down, exhaustion and malnourishment eating away at his energy. "Devin, just a little further don't slow down." She coaxed as she looked back. The walkers were close, very close. "Come one, we have to go!" She yelled, speeding up and taking him with her. When they were about twenty feet away from the bike Devin stopped, jolting Kaitlyn to a stop as well. "What are you doing?" Kaitlyn yelled as she turned around.

One of the walkers had grabbed Devin by the back of the shirt and was hauling him back towards the massive group. "No!" Kaitlyn yelled as she tugged on his hand with all her might. Then another walker grabbed him and bit down on his arm. His grip loosened and he was ripped from Kaitlyn's grip into the horde. "No, no!" She screamed as she tried to fight her way into the mass to her now shrieking brother. Suddenly a strong arm wrapped around her stomach and started to haul her away. "Let me go!" she roared.

"I can't do that!" Daryl replied. "I'm sorry."

"Please, just let me go!" She started screaming and crying as Daryl pulled her back. "I said let me go damn it, now let me go!" She started to writhe to break free of Daryl's iron grip around her. Her feet weren't even touching the ground as she kicked and fought to pry herself free. Her arms were extended to where the swarm of walkers had all gathered together. "No, Devin, no!" She howled through tears. "Let go Daryl! Let go, I have to help him. I can't leave him!"

"It's too late, you know that come on." He yelled as he backpedaled as rapidly as he could.

"No, he's my baby brother; please don't make me leave him!" She cried.

"No, you have to come!" Daryl yelled.

"No, please, they're hurting him! I have to help, please don't make me go. Devin! Devin! Please Daryl let me go help my baby brother please, please! Devin! No! No! DAMNIT! Daryl I have to help him, he's just a kid please! Devin!" She continued to scream and fight, but Daryl still pulled her back. He took her bow and hooked it with his crossbow on the back of the motorcycle. He then pulled Kaitlyn on, sat her in the front and climbed on, placing his arms on either side protectively so she didn't jump off. She had stopped struggling but was just whispering through choking sobs. "He's just a baby, please. I can't leave him. No, not him too. It's all my fault. It should be me. Please, God, no!" From behind Devin's screams of pain had ceased. Daryl started the motorcycle up and pulled out first back onto the road. After a few more minutes of quite sobbing and murmuring, Kaitlyn sat up, and looked straight ahead, no tears in her eyes. Instead was a hollowness that was sadder than any amount of tears she could ever cry.

**A/N2: Guys, I got a little teary there at the end because I have little brothers...That would just suck...**


	17. Chapter 17-The Interstate

The continued down the road through the night and into the next day. Kaitlyn had since moved onto the back of the motorcycle where she wouldn't be in the way as Daryl drove. She held onto him loosely, the distant, look still in her eyes. She had her forehead resting on his back, her tired eyes focused on the angel wings of the vest he had added over his plaid shirt. They finally made it onto the interstate and were heading down it when Daryl slowed the motorcycle. Kaitlyn turned and looked ahead. On the road was a wild array of cars, some on the road, and some off, some flipped over. Daryl stole a glance at the others as they stopped then went ahead. Kaitlyn looked around at the jumble of cars as they passed. Most of the cars were abandoned. The doors were left open. The ones that were not vacated had unmoving bodies, some still strapped in with the seat belt. There were clothes and other debris scatter all over the desolate road. After finding a way through the disarray he turned back and pulled up beside the RV. "See a way through?" Dale called. Daryl nodded and turned the bike again. He led the group slowly through the mess. Kaitlyn turned her head and watched the RV as it followed them. Just as Kaitlyn began to think that they may actually make it through the engine of the RV began to sputter wildly and smoke and steam began pouring out of the front. Daryl stopped the bike and climbed off. Kaitlyn followed as Daryl led the way back to the group. "Problem, Dale?" Rick asked as they approached.

"Oh, just the small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-"Dale stopped as Daryl pulled something out of the trunk of the car he had been examining. "Okay, that was dumb." Dale said.

"If you can't find a radiator hose here…" Shane trailed off.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl said as he continued to look through the trunk.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-dog suggested.

"Maybe some water?" Carol asked.

"Or food." Sparky added.

"This is a graveyard." Lori said. Everyone looked at her silently, Daryl stopping with his hand still in the trunk. "I don't know how I feel about this."

"Alright, alright here we go. Come one y'all just look around." Shane instructed. "Just gather what you can." Everyone split up and started to go through the cars, taking what they found. Kaitlyn pulled out a black and blue backpack out of the front of a car. It was empty so she started to fill it with things. She walked to an opened trunk and began rifling through a suite case. All the clothes were female, and most of them were a size too big for her. But she had lost the black cross tank top and so she decided it was time to find something else to wear. She pulled out a grey, half sleeved, V-neck, cardigan that looked like it would fit her decently and a pair of jeans. She looked around before ducking behind one of the cars and changing. She transferred the pistol to the back of her new pants and slipped her old clothes, jacket and all, down into the bag then set out to gathering more supplies. Daryl and T-dog passed her, fuel canisters in hand, and Daryl patted her shoulder as they went. She gave him a weak smile before zipping up her now full backpack and walking out a bit further, studying the empty cars and unmoving bodies. None of them looked like they would be coming back. She heard a shuffling noise from behind her and she turned. She saw everyone diving under cars and then saw why; a large group of walkers were all headed down the interstate. She looked to the side and pulled open the door of the nearest vehicle. There was a body in the seat, but she was relieved to see a large hole in the side of its head, there was no need to worry about it. She held her breath from the stench and lifted its legs up then climbed under. Once she was in the door wouldn't close all the way, so she had to settle with it cracked and she could see the walkers as they passed.

They moaned as they lumbered past. Kaitlyn swallowed hard and barely dared to breathe on the off chance that one of them would see her. She had to fight the urge to shrink back away from the rotten horde as they passed by her. Over a hundred of them passed her, all varying in age. Kaitlyn looked on in terror. She began to wonder if Daryl had managed to hide himself in time. If not, she had lost everything. She swallowed again as they continued to pass. Then they stopped. No more passed but Kaitlyn didn't dare to move, not until she was sure that there were no stragglers. She longed for her bow. All she had was the pistol and she knew she couldn't shoot that without drawing every last walker back down on them. She waited for a moment longer before deciding to exit the vehicle.

She carefully pushed the door open all the way and pulled herself out onto the ground, crawling out on all fours. She scanned the area before rising. She saw no walkers around. She started heading for the RV slowly and cautiously. "Psst!" A voice sounded from beside her. Kaitlyn looked to her left and saw a large, shiny Ford pickup truck. In the bed she saw Brittany and Sparky's heads. The beckoned her quickly and she ran over, using the tire to climb up and into the bed. She slumped down next to Sparky just as another small group of walkers started to pass by. Kaitlyn looked from Brittany to Sparky and noticed that they both had changed clothes. Brittany had traded out her old black and white tank top for a loose top that read "Work Hard Play Hard". Sparky had changed out of her plaid shirt into an elbow length, denim button up top. Both were now in jeans and Brittany had latched her tomahawk sheath onto the jeans, though her tomahawk was not currently in it. They waited for a while without any walkers passing before Sparky carefully and looked back. "Looks like we're good," she reported as she pulled the tailgate open for them to climb down. Kaitlyn, however, just jumped off the side and headed back towards the others.

When she approached everyone was gathered near the guardrail. Lori had her arm wrapped around a sobbing Carol. "What happened?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Sophia got chased into the woods by some walkers and Rick went after her." Glenn whispered to her.

"Oh, my baby!" Carol cried.

Kaitlyn turned and saw Daryl approaching. She let out a sigh of relief until she saw T-dog. "Oh my god!" She said. He was clutching his arm and his shirt was drenched in blood. She dashed up and held Daryl to support him. "What happened to you? You weren't bit were you?"

"No, just scratched my arm on a car door." T-dog replied weakly.

"Here, get him into the RV." Dale instructed and Kaitlyn and Daryl helped him into the RV and sat him down next to the small table.

"Thanks." T-dog murmured.

Kaitlyn and Daryl headed back outside. "We need a group to go find Rick and see if he found Sophia." Shane was saying. "Glenn, Kaitlyn, Daryl, Brittany, and Sparky we'll all go." He said. Everyone nodded and they headed out to the woods. Kaitlyn retrieved her bow first and left the backpack, replacing it with her quiver. Daryl took the lead, his tracking skill being the best of the group. They headed far into the woods when a rustling sound stopped them. It was Rick. "This way," he said and he quickly led the group off. They arrived at a creek. Rick jumped in and Daryl followed, though the rest remained on the bank. He ran up to some roots that were hanging out of the high bank. "Where is she?" Rick questioned. "I left her right here."

"Sure this is the spot?" Daryl asked, leaning in and looking at the roots.

"I left her right _here_." Rick stressed. "I drew the walkers away off in that direction up the creek.

"Without a paddle looks like that's where we're goin'." Daryl said, heading back towards the bank.

"She was gone by the time I got back here." Rick said "I figured she just took off and ran back to the group. I told her go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder."

"Hey, short round, why don't you step off to one side? You're muckin' up the trail." Daryl called to Glenn.

"Assuming she knows her left from her right." Shane said.

"Shane, she understood me fine." Rick replied.

"Kid's tired and scared, man." Shane pointed out. "She had her a close call with two walkers. Got to wonder how much of what you said stuck."

"Got clear prints right here." Daryl said from where he stood a little way off from the group. "She did like you said, headed back to the highway. Let's spread out, make our way back."

"She couldn't have gone far." Rick insisted.

Daryl and Rick climbed from the creek and Daryl headed back to the front where he followed the trail for a little while then stopped and crouched over. "She was doing just fine till right here." Daryl said, looking at the ground. "All she had to do was keep going. She veered off that way." He pointed to the right.

"Why would she do that?" Glenn asked.

"Maybe she saw something that spooked her, made her run off."

"A walker?" Glenn asked.

Daryl shook his head. "I don't see any other footprints. Just hers."

"So what do we do?" Shane asked. "All of us press on?"

"No," Rick replied. "Better if you and Glenn get up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking. Let them know we're on her trail doing everything we can. But most of all, keep everybody calm."

"I'll keep 'em busy scavenging cars." Shane told him. "Think up a few other chores. I'll keep 'em occupied. Come on." He and Glenn headed off together in the direction of the group and Kaitlyn and Rick followed Daryl as he watched the ground, focused on Sophia's trail.

They walked in silence as Daryl concentrated on the ground. After a while though, the trail that Sophia had left became harder and harder to see. "The tracks are gone." Rick said.

"No, they're faint, but they ain't gone." Daryl said. Kaitlyn raised her eyebrows, impressed that he was still able to follow Sophia's trail. "She came through here." He pointed ahead.

"How can you tell?" Rick asked. "I don't see anything. Dirt, grass."

"You wanna lesson in tracking or you wanna find that girl and get our ass off that interstate?" Daryl asked. Kaitlyn followed the whole time in silence. She hoped that Sophia was alright, she was so young and she had seen enough children die recently.

They trekked on through the woods for a good twenty minutes when a rattling sound came from a bush. They all crouched and Kaitlyn readied her bow. Rick led the way as they crept forward. They saw the walker. It was walking slowly away from them. Daryl motioned for Rick to run around front and that he would take it out from the back. Kaitlyn stayed on the top of the incline and watched for more as Daryl and Rick took it out. Once it was down they all approached the unmoving body. Daryl pulled his arrow from its head and looked around. "Sophia!" He yelled. Rick knelt down next to the walker and started to examine it. "What are you lookin' for?" Daryl asked.

"Skin under the fingernails." Rick replied. Daryl leaned in closer. Rick flipped the walker's body over so that it faced upwards. "It fed recently." He observed. He stuck gloved hands into the walker's mouth and began to pull. "There's flesh caught in its teeth."

"Yeah, what kind of flesh?" Daryl inquired.

Rick looked straight ahead for a second before replying. "Only one way to find out." He reached into this pocked and pulled out a knife then pulled open the walker's shirt.

"Oh, God." Kaitlyn breathed.

"Here, I'll do it." Daryl said, stepping over the walker's body and fiddling with the latch on his knife's sheath. "How many kills you skin and gut in your life? Anyway, mine is sharper." He pulled out his big hunting knife. He raised the knife and forced it down, cutting away at the walker's torso, three times. Once he finished he looked to Rick and Kaitlyn. "Now comes the bad part." He said. He shoved his hands down into the now opened walker. Kaitlyn gagged a little and looked away from the walker's rotted insides. Daryl dug around in the walker for a few moments before speaking. "Yeah, hoss had a big meal not too long ago. I feel it in there." He said. Kaitlyn looked back just as he pulled the walker's stomach out. Rick cut it opened and began to sift around through the black and rotted contents. Daryl picked up what looked like a skull from the stomach and observed it. "This gross bastard had himself a woodchuck for lunch." He said.

"At least we know." Rick said as Daryl stood up.

"At least we know." Daryl agreed.

"We should probably head back, it's gonna get dark soon." Rick suggested.

"Yeah." Daryl agreed. They all headed back to camp quickly and when they got there everyone was standing around together, doing some task or another. "You didn't find her?" Carol began crying as soon as she saw that they didn't have Sophia with them.

"Her trail went cold." Rick explained. "We'll pick it up again at first light."

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods." Carol pleaded.

"Out in the dark's no good." Daryl told her quietly. "We'd just be trippin' over ourselves. More people get lost."

"But she's twelve." Carol said, growing more and more hysterical. "She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?"

"I know this is hard." Rick stopped her. "But I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there.

"And we tracked her for a while." Daryl offered.

"We have to make this an organized effort." Rick stated. "Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."

"Is that blood?" Carol asked, taking in the walker's blood on Daryl's pants.

"We took down a walker." Rick answered reluctantly.

"Walker? Oh, god." Carol whimpered.

"There was no sign it was ever near Sophia." Rick assured her.

"How can you know that?" Andrea asked.

Rick looked to Daryl to answer. "We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure." He said.

"Oh god." Carol sat down slowly. Lori sat down next to her and took her hand. "How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" Carol asked Rick angrily. "How could you just leave her?"

"Those two walkers were on us." Rick explained. "I had to draw them off. It was her best chance."

"Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane interjected.

"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own?" Carol asked. "She's just a child. She's just a child."

Rick crouched down and looked up at Carol. "It was my only option. The only choice I could make."

"I'm sure nobody doubts that." Shane reassured Rick.

"My little girl got left in the woods." Carol said thickly as she began to cry again. Rick looked at the ground, guilt written all over his face. He stood and walked away from the group and out towards the cars. Kaitlyn and Daryl climbed over the guardrail and Kaitlyn went to the crying Carol. "Look, Carol, I know how you feel. But, she'll be fine, I promise, we've got Daryl on it." Carol just continued to cry as the sun set over the crowded interstate.


	18. Chapter 18-The Church Bells

**A/N: Sorry that this one is a little late, and short, but I'll try and speed things up a little! Thanks for reading/reviewing! Also, the new outfits mentioned in the previous chapter are up on the website Polyvore. Just search for koemioshiro and you should be able to find them (:**

The group disbanded and set back to searching. The setting sun was casting long shadows across the interstate. Kaitlyn was walking through the cars, her hands in her back pockets as she walked. She knew how Carol felt and she sympathized with the poor woman. She kicked a rock as she went and it clanged off something glass. Kaitlyn looked to where the rock lay next to a lantern. Kaitlyn walked over and picked it up by the thin wire handle. It looked still usable. She carried it loosely in her hand, letting it swing idly back and forth. She picked her way through the bedlam of cars. She approached a large truck with a large, metal sliding door that read "Jack Daniels". She pulled the door up with one hand and stepped in. She looked around and smiled a bit. The walls of the truck were lined with bottles and bottles of Jack Daniels. She turned and looked around quickly for other people before closing the door back behind her. She pulled a lighter out of her pocket and set to work lighting the lantern.

It flared up and she sat it down on the floor. The thought crossed her mind maybe that she ought to tell the others of this discovery, but then she thought that she could just keep it to herself. She knew of the pain erasing effects of liquor, and, if only for a few hours, to forget the horrors she had seen the last few days, seemed like a reverie. She rushed to one of the walls lined with the racks of the whiskey. She pulled one out and pulled off the cap before tipping it back. The whiskey burned her throat on the way down but left a sweet after taste. She exhaled deeply and took another swig. She began to feel the effects of the straight liquor after her third drink. She finished off the bottle and felt a little out of it, but happier than before. She decided to try and get back to the group before they got worried, but she wasn't sure how she was going to hide that she had been drinking when she could barely stand or walk. She grabbed two more of the bottles and stuffed them between some clothes in her bag before shutting the lantern off and raising the door just enough to climb under it. When she exited the large truck she tried to step down but slipped and fell onto her hands and knees. She giggled as she stood up and whipped her scrapped hands on her pants.

She staggered back towards camp slowly, her feet not wanting to cooperate with the ground. "There you are!" an angry voice yelled. Daryl came towards her from around one of the cars. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Where were you?" Kaitlyn swallowed as she fought for control of herself.

"I was looking around sorry." She replied smoothly.

"I yelled for you, but you didn't answer I was afraid something happened." He said irately, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

"Sorry, I d-d-didn't hear you." She stuttered, the struggle to control herself causing her to shake.

"Are you cold?" Daryl asked.

"Um, yeah," Kaitlyn lied.

"Well, why don't you put your jacket on?" Daryl questioned.

"Uh, well, it was at the bottom of my bag, and I didn't feel like digging it out." She formulated quickly.

"Well that's stupid." Daryl informed her before walking back towards the RV. Kaitlyn followed after him holding herself around her elbows.

She nervously approached the RV, taking careful measure to place one foot in front of the other, her vision blurring around the edges. It was dark by now and she grabbed the inside of the door to climb into the RV. She sat down next to Brittany and Sparky at the table. "And where have you been?" Sparky asked.

"I was uh, just looking around." Kaitlyn told her easily.

"Well, Daryl was out looking for you everywhere, he was really freaking out." Brittany told her exasperatedly, examining her nails.

"What do you mean 'he was freaking out'?" Kaitlyn asked curiously.

"He was running around everywhere screaming 'Kaitlyn? Kaitlyn!? Wherefore art thou Kaitlyn?" Brittany mocked.

"Okay, he didn't actually say that, but he was pretty torn up." Sparky told her. "I think he was afraid you went off somewhere and…well."

"Well what?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I think he was afraid you'd killed yourself somewhere." Sparky whispered.

"Why would he think that?" Kaitlyn demanded, crossing her arms and sitting back.

Sparky put her elbows on the table then placed her chin on her fists. "Well, you have been through a lot these last few days, and I guess I he was afraid you'd…want out." Sparky explained.

"Oh." Kaitlyn whispered.

"You don't seem to upset, though." Brittany observed, looking away from her nails and looking to Kaitlyn.

"Oh, uh yeah, I'm fine." Kaitlyn said.

"Are you really?" Brittany asked, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

"Yeah, really," Kaitlyn replied, rubbing her arms slowly. Shane poked his head into the RV and looked at the group inside; Kaitlyn, Brittany, Sparky, Dale and Glenn up front, and Carol and Andrea in the back.

"Y'all 'bout ready for bed?" he asked.

Everyone nodded and worked out bed spaces. Kaitlyn took the floor and lay down with a blanket and pillow. A little later Daryl joined her in the floor, though laying the opposite way. Kaitlyn nodded off to sleep faster than she had since everything started, the whiskey still in her system giving her a peaceful feeling.

When she woke, however, she was not the usually bubbly person that she was after drinking, but she wasn't hungover either. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. The RV was empty except for her so she stood up and headed outside. The bright light stung her eyes for a moment before she stepped out of the opened RV door and outside. The group was gathered around a car talking Kaitlyn approached them quietly as she came into the conversation. "Everybody takes a weapon." Rick said motioning to a variety of knifes lying spread out on the hood of the car.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need." Andrea said. "What about the guns?"

"We've been over that." Shane said from where he leaned against the RV next to T-dog. "Daryl, Rick, and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles." Kaitlyn carefully patted the gun still in the back of her pants, unsure if Rick would even remember she had it.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea argued.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment," Shane said "a heard happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Andrea gave him an unhappy look, but Shane was not paying attention.

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side." Daryl explained. "Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark."

"Stay quiet and stay sharp." Rick instructed. "Keep space between you, but always stay within sight of each other."

"Everybody assemble you packs." Shane ordered. The group parted and began to ready themselves for the search. Kaitlyn walked to where Daryl stood by a truck, putting things in his bag.

"Hey." She said.

"Oh, you're awake, I was gonna let you sleep in as long as I could." He said, though not looking at her.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know, you looked like you could use some sleep last night, and you still look like it." He noted.

"Oh, well, thanks." She said.

"No problem." He said.

"Let's go!" Shane called and everyone gathered, ending in a single file line. The group was led by Daryl, followed by Rick, then Kaitlyn, Sparky, Brittany, Carol, Glenn, Andrea Lori, Carl, and ended by Shane. Daryl stopped the group and pointed ahead. Up in a little clearing was a yellow tent.

"She could be in there." Shane said.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there," Daryl whispered before walking towards the tent. He crouched and pointed his crossbow ahead. Kaitlyn went to follow but Rick held his hand up for the rest of the group to stay behind.

Daryl led Rick and Shane towards the tent, but once they were close he held up his hand for them to stay back. He pulled a knife off his belt before sitting his crossbow down and creeping towards the tent. Kaitlyn held her breath as he approached the tent. He walked around the side to try and see in, but had not luck. He turned to Rick and Shane and shrugged his shoulders. "Carol!" Rick called quietly. Carol ran to the group as Daryl advanced towards the flap of the tent. "Call out softly." Rick instructed. "If she's in there, your voice is the first voice she should hear."

"Sophia, sweetie, are you in there?" Carol called. Daryl readied his knife and bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Sophia, it's mommy. Sophia, we're all here baby. It's mommy." Carol called desperately. There was no sign of life in the tent. Rick and Shane quietly approached as Daryl carefully began to unzip the bottom of the tent. Kaitlyn readied her bow and joined the others near the tent.

Daryl pulled back the flap to reveal a body facing the opposite direction in a lawn chair. The stench hit Kaitlyn and she gagged a bit. Daryl stepped inside reluctantly and the flap closed behind him. Kaitlyn, Rick and Shane continued to gag. "Daryl?" Carol asked. Daryl stepped out of the tent quickly.

"It ain't her." He reported.

"What is in there?" Brittany asked.

"Some guy." Daryl said. "Did what Jenner said, opted out. Ain't that what he called it?' He asked, throwing his crossbow over his shoulder with the strap. Suddenly, in the distance, church bells rang out. Daryl pulled his crossbow back off his shoulder as they all ran behind Rick in the direction of the bells. "What direction?" Shane asked.

"I think that way. I'm pretty sure." Rick said.

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here." Shane muttered.

"If we heard them, maybe Sophia did too." Carol said.

"Someone's ringing those bells." Glenn said. "Maybe calling others,"

"Or signaling that they found her," Andrea ventured.

"She could be ringing them herself." Rick suggested.

They ran through the forest and came out into a cemetery out behind a big, white building; the church. "That can't be it." Shane said. "Got no steeples, no bells." Rick headed on anyways.

Rick led the way through the graveyard towards the church. He took them up to some big, red, double doors. She motioned for them to keep quiet as he drew his gun. He and Daryl pushed the doors opened and inside were three walkers, two men and a woman. The woman had on a dirty veil as she turned to face them. Rick, Shane, and Daryl rushed in and took them all out with a blade of some sort. "Sophia!" Daryl yelled. He turned to a large, golden crucifix hanging on the wall. "Yo, J.C., you taking requests?" he asked.

"I'm telling you, it's the wrong church. It's got no steeple, Rick." Shane said. "There's no steeple." Suddenly, from overhead, bells rang again. Daryl pushed through everyone and ran outside first. Kaitlyn followed and looked up. Attached to the roof of the church was a speaker with church bell sounds emanating from it. Glenn ran up to a box and turned it off.

"A timer," Daryl said, pointing to the speaker with his blade. "It's on a timer."

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit." Carol said weakly.

Everyone followed soon after. Kaitlyn sat down in one of the pews and crossed her legs. Up at the front of the church, Carol was praying and crying, asking for Sophia's safe return. Kaitlyn looked sadly at the ground as they listened. Kaitlyn closed her eyes and tried to send up her own prayer but was interrupted by the creaking of the pew as someone sat down next to her. She looked up to see Daryl looking up at the crucifix. He looked down at her curiously. "D'you believe in all this religious stuff?" He asked quietly.

"I did at one time, yes." She replied somberly.

"And now?" He asked.

"I don't even know what I believe anymore, but it doesn't hurt to believe in something." She looked up at the crucifix herself. _"Please," _she thought "_bring that little girl home." _They all headed outside and prepared to leave. Shane cleared his throat and approached the group. "Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl, you're in charge. Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so, just to be thorough."

"You're splitting us up." Daryl said. "You sure?"

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane told him.

"I wanna stay too." Carl said, stepping forward. "I'm her friend"

"Just be careful, okay?" Lori told him.

"I will." He promised.

"When did you start growing up?" Lori asked as she pulled him in for a hug and he chuckled.

She gave Rick a quick kiss and hug. "I'll be along soon enough." He told her. She went to leave but he stopped her. "Here take this, remember how to use it?" He held out his pistol to her.

"I'm not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed." She replied.

"Here, got a spare, take it." Daryl said, handing Lori a pistol and walking towards the front of the group.

"Where'd you get that?" Kaitlyn asked catching up to him.

"Got it off the walker in that tent," Daryl replied, leading the group towards the woods. They walked in silence for a while, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of Sophia.

"So this is it?" Carol asked, breaking the silence. "This is the whole plan."

"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl replied, stopping to lean on a tree.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks," Andrea said. "I see you have a gun." She said, looking unhappily at Lori.

"Why, you want it?" Lori asked agitatedly. "Here take it. I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." She held the gun out to Andrea. Andrea took the gun, but looked almost offended. "All of you." Lori said, sitting down on a tree trunk. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through. And I would do anything to stop it." She said to Carol. "But you have to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did. Or made the hard decisions that he had to make. Or that anyone could have done it any differently." Carol just looked sadly at the ground. "Anybody?" Lori asked. No one said a word as she looked around the group. "Y'all look to him and then blame him when he's not perfect." She shook her head unbelievingly. "If you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody's stopping you." She took a drink of water.

Andrea gave Lori her gun back. "We should keep moving." She said softly. Lori stood and they all headed back towards the RV. Kaitlyn slowly drifted towards the back of the group. She rustled through her back pack until she pulled out one of the Jack Daniels bottles and removed the cap. She took a swig before closing it back and tucking it in her bag and speeding up to catch the group.


	19. Chapter 19-Too Much

**A/N: Sorry that this one is so short, but it goes all the way through episodes two and three, and this was all I could get! Thanks everyone for reading/reviewing! **

The group trudged on through the forest towards the highway. Kaitlyn had managed to sneakily finish off the first bottle and had started on the second. Lori stopped and turned to look back again, as she had been doing periodically. "You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked referring to the gun shot that had run out not to long before.

"It was a gunshot." Lori said quietly.

"We all heard it." Daryl pointed out.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" Lori asked, rounding on the group.

"Maybe they took down a walker." Daryl suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't waste a gunshot just to put down one walker." Lori said angrily. "Or Shane, they'd do it quietly." She added.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked softly.

"There's nothin' we can do about it anyway." Daryl told them. "Can't run around the woods chasing echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori asked.

"Same as we've been." Daryl instructed. "Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea assured Lori. She walked over to where Carol stood. "I'm sorry about what you're going through. I know how you feel." She said.

"I suppose you do, thank you." Carol replied. "The thought of her out here by herself…It's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy."

Andrea looked taken aback. "Oh God," Carol took her hands. "That's the worst thing I ever said."

Andrea shook her head and smiled at Carol. "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth."

"I'll tell you what it's worth." Daryl interjected. "Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time all this hoping and prayin'. 'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, she's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one Zen around here? Good lord." He stalked back towards the front of the group. Kaitlyn snickered and followed to walk next to him. She was walking straight, but not without effort. Daryl looked sideways at her but continued on. They walked in silence through the trees, looking for signs that Sophia had been in the area. "We'll lose the light before too long." Daryl commented. "I think we should call it."

"Let's head back." Lori suggested.

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Lori reassured her. Daryl whispered for the group to follow as he turned back and lead the way back towards the interstate where the RV waited with T-dog and Dale.

"How much farther?" Andrea asked.

"Not much." Daryl replied. "Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies."

"Too bad we're not crows." Andrea whined.

"You know, this would go a lot faster if you'd stop complaining." Kaitlyn said.

Andrea scoffed. "As the crow flies my ass," Suddenly she started screaming. The group turned but she was nowhere to be seen. They all ran in the direction of her screams. She was on the ground and a walker was trying to grab hold of her kicking feet. Then, from the side, a girl on a horse rode up, striking the walkers head. It fell motionless to the ground and the group looked on as the girl turned the horse back to face them.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" She called.

"I'm Lori." Lori said, approaching the girl.

"Rick sent me." She said. "You've gotta come now!"

"What?" Lori asked.

"There's been an accident, Carl's been shot." The woman explained. "He's still alive, but you've gotta come now." Lori started up at the woman. "Rick needs you. Just come!"

Lori began to pull her backpack off but Daryl put his hand up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't know this girl!" He pointed to the woman. "You can't get on that horse." Lori ignored him and the woman turned to the group.

"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl? Back track to Fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox, names Greene. Hyah!" She sent the horse running in the opposite direction and took Lori along with her. From the side the walker the woman had hit sat up, moaning. "Shut up." Daryl snapped and shot it through the head.

They ran the rest of the way back to the RV. When they grew close Dale called out to them. "Hey, what took you all so long? We were getting worried."

"Carl was shot." Glenn called back.

"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale asked.

"I don't know, Dale, I wasn't there." Glenn replied, jumping over the guardrail. "All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori."

"You let her?" Dale questioned

"Climb down outta my asshole, man. Rick sent her." Daryl said angrily. "She knew Lori's name and Carl's."

"I heard screams, what that you?" He asked Andrea.

"She got attacked by a walker." Brittany answered when Andrea didn't. "It was a close call."

"Andrea, are you all right?" Dale asked. Andrea just looked at him before heading into the RV and slamming the door behind her.

"So, what're we going to do?" Kaitlyn asked, removing her backpack and shouldering her bow.

"Well, we go to that farm I guess." Daryl replied.

"I won't do it." Carol said. "I can't just leave."

"Carol, the group is split. We're shattered and weak." Dale pointed out.

"What if she comes back and we're not here?" Carol demanded. "It could happen."

"If Sophia found her way back, and we we're gone, what would she do? She may go back in the woods and that would put us back to square one." Sparky said.

"Okay." Daryl said. "We gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV."

"If the RV is staying, I am too." Dale said.

"If Daryl stays then I guess I'm stuck here too." Kaitlyn said.

"Thank you." Carol smiled weakly. "Thank all of you."

"Well, if you're all staying I am-"

"Not you, Glenn, you're going." Dale instructed. "Take Carol's Cherokee. "

"Me?" Glenn demanded. "Why is it always me?"

"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on." Dale explained calmly. "But, most important, you have to get T-dog there. This is not an option. That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get him to that farm; see if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-dog will die no joke." Daryl turned from the group and walked over towards his motorcycle and pulled off a dirty white rag before beginning to rifle through one of the side pouches. He pulled out a large plastic bag full of different medications. "Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle." He ordered, throwing the rag at Dale and opening the bag. "Why'd you wait till now to say anything" He asked. "Got my brother's stash. Crystal, X. Don't need that. Got some kickass painkillers." He tossed a bottle to Glenn before going back to the bag and pulling another bottle out. "Oxycycline." He threw this bottle to Dale. "Not the generic stuff neither. It's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." He shrugged and returned the bag.

"Gross." Kaitlyn whispered.

AS THEY NIGHT DREW NEARER BRITTANY, SPARKY, ANDREA, GLENN, AND T-DOG, ALL LEFT FOR THE FARM. Kaitlyn, Daryl, Carol and Dale stayed back. Daryl and Kaitlyn and Carol all went into the RV to try and get some rest. Once Kaitlyn was fairly sure the others were asleep, however, she carefully rose. She grabbed her crossbow and quiver, just in case, then grabbed her back pack and slipped out of the RV. She crouched low and dashed from car to car, trying not to be seen by Dale, who was keeping watch on top of the RV. She finally found the whiskey truck and climbed in as quietly as she could. Once inside, she fumbled around until she had the lantern lit. The racks of whiskey were immediately illuminated and she smiled. She took the two empty bottles from her back pack and sat them next to the bottle from the previous day. She grabbed a new bottle off the nearest shelf and opened it. Within an hour she had downed roughly four, but for some reason, she just couldn't stop. She put the flame in the lantern and climbed out of the back of the truck, falling again though this time on her butt. She grimaced in pain, no laughter this time. She picked her way back towards the RV when she was stopped by a flashlight.

"Oh, there you are." Daryl said, walking over towards her slowly.

"Here I am." She said as brightly as she could manage.

"Dale said he didn't see you leave, but I just figured you couldn't sleep either. I was gonna go scout around for the girl." He said. "Do you wanna come?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah sure." She replied.

Daryl led the way into the forest. "Do you really think we're gonna find Sophia?" She asked quietly, holding the flashlight ahead, though it was shaking slightly with her hand.

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's Georgia." He replied.

"So?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"So, she could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."

"But, she's only twelve." Kaitlyn pointed out.

"Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost." Daryl said "Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?" She asked.

"My old man was off on some bender with some waitress. Merle was doin' another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone." He paused and looked at Kaitlyn, but she was looking straight ahead, though listening thoughtfully. "I made my way back though." He continued. "Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched somethin' awful."

Kaitlyn tried to fight it but she burst out laughing. "Wow." She snickered. "I mean, sorry, that is a terrible story." Daryl looked at her for a moment before he started to laugh with her.

"The only difference is Sophia's got people lookin' for her. I call that an advantage." He said.

"Yeah, I guess so." Kaitlyn agreed. A rustling noise came from the side. Daryl whipped his crossbow around to face the noise and Kaitlyn turned the flashlight in that direction. Daryl led the way into what looked like a little campsite. The rustling sound came again from a tree. "What the hell?"  
Daryl asked as they approached the tree. A walker was hanging from a branch with a noose around its neck. A note was tacked to the tree and Daryl leaned in closer to get a better look at it. "Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quite." He read. "Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging piece of bait. And a mess. I guess this is the closest he's been to food since he turned. Look at him up there, like a big piñata." He stepped forward and pointed towards the walker's legs. "The other geeks came and ate all the flesh of his legs." He said. Kaitlyn looked away from the mutilated legs of the walkers.

"That's so gross." She whispered.

"Let's head back." Daryl suggested. Kaitlyn nodded in agreement and followed him back out of the camp ground.

As they walked, though, Kaitlyn was slowly losing control of herself, the effects of all the liquor she had drank finally hitting her full force. She stumbled and ran into Daryl. "Hey watch it." He snapped.

"Sorry." She slurred, shivering as she tried to control herself again.

"Are you okay?" Daryl asked, looking at her curiously. "You're shivering again."

"I am fine. Absaluthly fine." She garbled.

"You don't look fine." Daryl said.

"I'll be okay, don't you worry your pretty little head." She said, laughing and poking him in the chest.

"Have you been drinking?" He asked.

"What? Aw, no. Why would you even think that?" She slurred again.

He jerked the flashlight out of her hand and shined it into her face. "You have!" He yelled, taking in her glassy eyes. "And your breath smells like whiskey. How much did you have?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter!" She said angrily turning away from him.

"Is this your way of dealing with everything?" He asked quietly.

"What?" She asked, though still not facing him.

"You haven't even seemed the least bit upset about losing your brother and sister. Why? Why aren't you sad or angry or anything?"

"Look, Daryl, you deal with things your way, I deal with them mine, and I don't need _you_ of all people to judge me." She said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, his voice rising with his anger.

"Not all of us throw a big fit and try to stab people when we get upset. Some of us are civilized people, not crazy, backwoods, redneck assholes!" She yelled.

"Where is all this coming from?" He demanded.

"I don't even know why I've stayed with you. You obviously don't like me. Hell, you don't like anyone! Anytime anyone tries to be nice to you, you just blow them off!"

"When have I ever blown _you_ off?" He yelled.

"All you think about is yourself! Why don't you go find your brother and you two can hold hands and skip back to the white trash trailer park you came from!" She turned to walk away but had to stop. Suddenly she was vomiting, and then she couldn't breathe. She started shaking and fell to the ground. Then she became unconscious.

"Kaitlyn? Kaitlyn!" Daryl called. He ran over and stooped down next to the now unmoving figure. "Dammit!" He whispered harshly. He put his crossbow strap over his shoulder and bent over, placing one arm under Kaitlyn's shoulders and another under her legs. He hauled her up and rushed back to camp.

When he hit the road he slowed down a bit. Dale climbed off the RV as Daryl approached. "What happened?" He queried, looking terrified.

"I don't know, she was talking then she threw up everywhere, then she started shaking, then she passed out." Daryl replied as Dale opened the RV door for him. "What do we do?" he asked.

"If there really is a doctor at that farm, he should know what to do. I guess we'll just have to wait until morning when Glenn comes back." Dale replied. Daryl laid Kaitlyn down on the padded cushions around the table towards the back of the RV.

"What if she doesn't have that long?" Daryl asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Dale replied. He placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "Sorry, son." He said. Daryl sank down on the opposite side of the table and placed his face wearily in his hands, the conversation that he and Kaitlyn had just had running through his brain over and over.


	20. Chapter 20-Poison

**A/N: Wohoo! Twenty chapters already? Time sure does fly! Well, as usual thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, it really means alot! Please do enjoy!**

The next morning Glenn returned with Sparky and Brittany. When Dale saw them coming he climbed of the top of the RV and went inside to wake Daryl and Carol. When he entered he found Daryl right where he left him, sitting at the table, his face in his hands. "Did you sleep at all?" Dale asked. Daryl turned his head to look at him and the answer was evident in his drained expression. "I told you to get some rest, why didn't you?" Dale asked walking toward him.

"I was watching her, in case she…she went in the night and turned." Daryl answered quietly. He hadn't moved the whole night from her side. He had counted her breaths to pass the time. She was breathing slowly, maybe eight breaths per minute averaged. "She doesn't look too good does she?" Dale asked. Daryl just shook his head. Kaitlyn's skin had taken a blue hue through the night. Daryl had reached out to touch her and her skin was cold. "Glenn's back, let's get her to the farm, maybe the doctor there will be able to help." Dale said.

Daryl nodded. Carol had woken up and was standing sadly at the small door that lead to the little bedroom in the back her arms crossed. "You'll keep an eye on her so I can get my brother's motorcycle down there, right?" He asked.

"Of course." Carol replied quietly. She came and replaced Daryl next to Kaitlyn and took the girls cold hand in her own. "Too many people are getting sick." She sighed.

Dale followed Daryl out of the RV as Glenn and the others pulled up. "I just don't get why she did it." Daryl was muttering. "And she called me selfish." Dale looked at him, confused; when Daryl noticed him he just scoffed. "It's none of your business, so don't ask." He said, hopping onto his bike and starting it up. Brittany and Sparky walked over towards Daryl.

"Where's Kaitlyn?" Brittany called over the roar of the engine.

"She's in the RV. She…she tried to kill herself last night, she's out cold." Daryl told them.

"Oh my god!" Sparky whimpered.

"Let's just get back to the farm." Brittany said, pulling Sparky back to the Cherokee.

Glenn led the way back a couple miles then down a long dirt road. They stopped at a fence and Sparky jumped out to open it then close it back after the RV passed through. The pulled up to a two story white farmhouse and stopped. A group of people were waiting outside for them. Daryl stopped the motorcycle and climbed off. His face set in a stern expression, but it was obvious how hard he was trying not to show his concern. He went straight to the RV for Kaitlyn. Carol passed him on the way out and patted his shoulder. He entered the RV and grabbed Kaitlyn's still unmoving body. As he withdrew from the RV he saw the others hugging. "What's wrong with her?" An elderly man asked, walking forward.

"I, uh, I'm not sure." Daryl told him weakly.

"Bring her in, she looks really bad." He instructed, leading the way into the house. Some of the others gasped as Daryl carried the limp body of Kaitlyn passed. "What happened?" Lori asked.

"Apparently she tried to kill herself last night." Brittany told her.

"My god." Lori breathed.

The man led Daryl up a set of stairs and into a small room. "Right here." He said, pointing to a bed. Daryl laid her down and backed away. The man began examining her and an older blonde woman joined them. "She looks like she may be dehydrated, Patricia, please go get me an IV and some fluids." He instructed moving around Kaitlyn and checking her vital signs. He turned to Daryl. "You said she tried to kill herself, how?"

"I think she tried to drink herself to death. Her breath smelled like whiskey and she was acting all drunk, her eyes were glassy. She threw up and then passed out. Suddenly Kaitlyn's body began jerking and writhing on the bed. Daryl jumped forward but the man held him back. "It's just a seizure, let it pass. She has all the symptoms of alcohol poisoning. We'll just have to keep an eye on her and hope she makes it." He said. The woman, Patricia, returned with an IV and helped the man insert a needle into Kaitlyn's arm. Daryl winced and looked away. "Hershel," the woman said "we'll be out of IVs soon if we don't slow down."

"I know." Hershel replied. Kaitlyn had stopped jerking and was now just shuddering, her breaths coming out in ragged, uneven intervals.

"Now what, will she be alright?" Daryl asked urgently.

"She should make it; we'll just have to see." Hershel said quietly.

KAITLYN'S EYES FLUTTERED OPEN. She looked around quickly, her eyes darting back and forth. She took a shaky breath, completely ignorant of where she was. The last thing she remembered was yelling at Daryl in the forest. Regret immediately washed over her. She had said so many cruel things to him. She noticed the IV sticking out of her arm. It was so cold; she saw that she was very pale. She swallowed and tried to sit up. She rose to her elbows, but her arms faltered and gave out, crashing her back on her pillow. But, she tried again. This time she managed to hold herself up. On the other side of the room, sitting in an arm chair, was Daryl, looking jadedly out the window, his hand under his chin. "Daryl?" She asked, though her voice came out a hoarse whisper. His head snapped over to the bed and relief washed over his face. "You're awake." He said. He grabbed the chair and pulled it up next to her bed.

"How long was I out?" She asked rubbing her eye with the back of her hand then letting it drop beside her.

"Couple days." He replied.

She nodded slowly. "How is Carl?"

"He's makin' it."

"And Sophia?"

"I found some stuff in an old house, looked like she may've been there, but nothin' for sure." He stopped and looked at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Why? Why did you do it?" He asked quietly, looking at the ground.

"Do what?" She looked at him curiously.

"Try and kill yourself? I mean, I get you've been through a lot, but I never thought you'd just try and quit like that."

"Daryl, I didn't try to kill myself." She said.

"Oh, so you just chugged enough alcohol to kill a freakin' horse for the hell of it?" He demanded, snapping his head back up.

"What? No! I just…just wanted to forget." She whispered. "I don't even know what happened." She dropped back onto her pillow.

"You got alcohol poisoning, that's what happened." He said.

"Oh." She murmured. They sat in silence for a moment. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "You know I didn't mean any of those things I said. That's the last thing I remember."

"I know." He said, though he didn't look too convinced.

"Don't you believe me?" She asked.

"Yeah, but even if right now you don't feel that way, somewhere, deep down, you must, or you would've never said it."

"Daryl, I do NOT think that you're white trash, or selfish. A redneck maybe, but that's just part of your charm." She smiled weakly and winked. He scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever, just try not to do it again, okay?"

Kaitlyn nodded as a light rapping sounded at the door. "Yeah?" Daryl called. The door opened slowly and a tall girl with light brown, almost blonde, hair entered the room, balancing a tray in her hands. She smiled at Daryl. "Um…Rick! Rick wants you." She told him. Daryl looked to Kaitlyn and she nodded for him to go. He stood up and squeezed by the girl and out the door. She replaced Daryl in the seat and sat the tray on the nightstand. "I had a feeling you would be awake by now." The girl said brightly.

"And how'd you know that?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Call it intuition. No, no, don't even try and sit up." The girl said as Kaitlyn tried to rise again. Kaitlyn did anyways and suddenly felt nauseous.

"I think I'm gonna throw up." She said.

"I told you so!" the girl said, but she brought a bucket up. Kaitlyn bent over it and emptied her stomach, though it was mostly bile. She lay back down, her throat now burning. She breathed heavily. "I know you're not going to feel like it, but you need to eat. You haven't eaten in days."

Kaitlyn sighed and accepted the sandwich that the girl gave her. "I'm just going to check your vitals, okay? And don't worry; I've been studying under Hershel." She assured her.

"Hershel? Is the doctor here?" Kaitlyn asked.

"He's actually a veterinarian." The girl explained.

"Oh." Kaitlyn said.

"I did some askin' 'round. You and that Daryl kid, you're close." She said more than asked.

Kaitlyn smirked when the girl called Daryl 'kid' seeing as the girl was obviously their age. "You could say that."

"Well, he would hardly leave your side the last few days, only leavin' to go look for that little girl." The girl explained.

"Really?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Really." The girl said.

"I just thought he was mad at me. I said some bad things to him." Kaitlyn confided in the girl.

"Well, I could hardly get him to talk, but he just seemed worried 'bout you." She looked at Kaitlyn, her expression serious. "Now, you know I gotta ask. Where did you get the alcohol from? How much did you drink?"

"I didn't drink straight alcohol; I wasn't trying to almost kill myself. I found a Jack Daniels truck and I had, gosh I don't even know, six bottles in one day." She sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Don't worry, we all make mistakes, the question is, did you learn from it?" The girl asked.

"Yeah, I guess. Say, when do you think I'll be able to get out of this bed?" Later today I'm sure." The girl told her. "But for now, you probably wanna stay lying down." Kaitlyn smiled and obliged.

A couple hours later, though, she couldn't stand lying in the bed any longer. She got the girl, Ashley she'd learned, to help her up and she walked carefully outside. She headed over to where Lori and Carol sat doing some of the laundry. "Hi." She said weakly sitting next to them.

"Hey." Lori said looking surprised. Kaitlyn smiled at Carol and picked up a shirt and began folding it. "I know you're surprised to see me up and around, but please stop staring at me." She said, though smiling.

"Sorry, but you're okay?" Lori asked.

"I am fine. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't try to kill myself, it was an accident." She said.

"Okay, okay." Lori said.

"So uh, where is everyone?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Oh, they all went out looking for Sophia." Lori said. Kaitlyn nodded and continued to help fold the laundry. She helped out with odd jobs around the little camp that they had set up in Hershel's front lawn. Lori and Carol had decided to cook dinner for Hershel and his family as a form of thank you, but Kaitlyn didn't feel up to standing in the kitchen, so she excused herself instead. "All of your things are in that tent there." Lori pointed at the tent that Kaitlyn had shared with Daryl and Merle when they first arrived at camp.

"Thanks." She smiled and headed off towards the tent. Inside she found her bow and quiver, her back was still in the Jack Daniels truck, she'd have to go back for it later. She pulled the quiver over her shoulder and then followed it with her bow and exited the tent. Sitting, perched on top of the RV was Andrea. Kaitlyn waked over towards the RV and called up to her. "Hey, are you gonna help Lori and Carol with dinner?"

"Why, because I have to play house wife? I'm sick of laundry; I wanna protect the camp, help out with the more dangerous stuff." She replied condescendingly.

"I do all that stuff and still have time to help with laundry, why can't you?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Look, I don't need judgment from you." Andrea said. Kaitlyn just shook her head and went to sit on a nearby stump.

EVENTUALLY EVERYONE WHO HAD WENT OUT TRICKLED BACK INTO THE CAMP, EVERYONE BUT DARYL. The sun was started to lower in the sky and Kaitlyn was worried. "He should be back now." She said to Sparky and Brittany, who were now sitting next to her.

"Oh, really?" Brittany asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you the first five hundred times."

"I know, I know, I'm just worried is all." Kaitlyn replied.

"Don't worry; I'm sure he's fine, maybe he found something." Sparky assured her.

"I sure hope so." Kaitlyn said.

"Walker! Walker!" Andrea yelled from the RV.

Kaitlyn, Brittany, and Sparky all jumped up and headed towards the RV.

"Just one?" Brittany asked, pulling her tomahawk out.

"I bet I can nail it from here." Andrea said picking up the rifle as Glenn joined the group.

"No no Andrea, put the gun down." Rick instructed.

"You'd best let us handle this." Shane said, coming towards the group, shirt unbuttoned and holding a pickaxe.

"Shane, hold up." Rick said. "Hershel want's to deal with walkers."

"What for, man? We got it covered." Shane said. Rick ran off to the RV and grabbed a pistol and the group ran out into the field towards the walker. Kaitlyn grimace with the effort. As the walker became close enough to see, though, she froze.

"Is that Daryl?" Glenn asked.

Daryl was limping towards them, covered in blood. "Oh, my god!" Kaitlyn breathed. Rick pointed his pistol at Daryl. Daryl looked at him angrily.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head." He said. "You gonna pull the trigger or what?" Suddenly a gunshot rang out and Daryl's head jerked back before he fell to the ground. "No!" Rick yelled.

"Daryl!" Kaitlyn screamed as she ran towards him, but Brittany held her back. "No!" She cried.

Daryl, however, reached his hand up and rubbed the side of his head. Shane knocked his hand away as he and Rick grabbed opposite arms and pulled him up. "I was kidding." Daryl said weakly.

"Oh my god!" Andrea yelled as she ran to join the group. "Oh my god is he dead?"

"Unconscious, you just grazed him." Rick told her.

"But look at him, what the hell happened?" Glenn said pointing at Daryl's chest. "He's wearing ears." Sure enough around Daryl's neck were four ears strung to make a necklace. Rick pulled the ears off. "Let's keep that to ourselves." He said.

"Guys," T-dog called, "isn't this Sophia's?" He held up the little doll that Sophia always carried around.

"I think so." Brittany said.

Rick and Shane continued to pull Daryl back towards the house.

"I'm so sorry!" Andrea said, stepping forward and almost tripping Shane.

"Just get out of the way, bitch!" Kaitlyn yelled, pushing Andrea back and following the group into the house. Hershel followed and Daryl was taken into the room that Kaitlyn had been in. Hershel immediately began dressing his head wound. Daryl had regained his consciousness by that time.

"I found Sophia's doll." He said. Kaitlyn, Rick, and Shane were the only people in the room.

"Where did you get it?" Rick asked.

"I found it washed up on the creek bed right there. She must've dropped it crossing there somewhere." He was holding a rag against his head as Hershel was mending a wound in his side.

"Cuts the grid almost in half." Rick said.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl told him sarcastically.

"How's he looking?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so fast." Hershel said. "And idea what happened to my horse?"

"Yeah, the one that almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the country." Daryl said.

"We call that one Nelly," Hershel said "as in Nervous Nelly. I could've told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long."

Rick, Shane, and Hershel all left, leaving Kaitlyn and Daryl alone. They sat in silence for a moment. "I thought I'd lost you." Kaitlyn said finally.

"Yeah, me too." Daryl said lightly, his head now bandaged up.

Kaitlyn pulled the chair up to the bed and sat her elbows on her knees, then her chin in her hands. "You okay?" Daryl asked.

"Fine, it's just…" She stopped and sighed.

"Just what?" Daryl asked.

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head.

"Look, you know you can tell me." He said, looking at her seriously.

She whimpered a bit but regained control. "I've just been trying really hard to keep myself together, not to break down, but when I thought you were dead…" She trailed off again and swallowed deeply.

Daryl continued to look at her. "It's not good to keep it all in like that, that's what almost killed you, if you need to freak out, freak out, but don't hold it in like that." He said finally.

She took a ragged breath and covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head vigorously, not wanted to breakdown.

"It's ok, I promise." Daryl said.

The genuine concern in his eyes was what broke her. She let out a sob. "I just miss them so much." She bawled. She put her face in her hands and continued to weep.

"Hey, hey, come here." Daryl said. He took her wrist and pulled her towards him. She followed as he pulled her on the bed next to him. She was careful not to touch the stiches in his side as he pulled her in. Kaitlyn rested her forehead against his bare chest and cried. "Shh, shh, just let it all out." He said quietly. Kaitlyn took the opportunity to release all of her fears, and anguish and pain. Daryl held her tight, whispering comforting words as she cried.


	21. Chapter 21-The Piano

**A/N: My god, this one is short! I am so, so, so, so sorry! I keep trying to make them longer, but it never works out..."sigh". But thank you to everyone who has left a review, it means a lot! Also, thank you for reading. Enjoy!**

A few days had passed since Kaitlyn had let out all of her retained heartaches out in Daryl's arms. He had since been moved from the house into their tent out on the lawn. He had made a speedy recovery, though Hershel had advised him to lay off the hard work for a couple of days. Kaitlyn was also beginning to get better, she was still weak, and she still had trouble keeping her food down, but she was better. She and Daryl were together in the tent talking. Daryl was lying down; playing idly with an arrow and Kaitlyn was sitting next to him, her legs crossed. Daryl took the arrow and started to poke little holes in the mesh window of the tent. "Hey, don't do that." She said, smacking the back of his hand.

"What if I don't wanna stop?" He asked.

"I didn't ask if you wanted to stop, I told you too, I swear Daryl you're like a little kid, I always tell…I mean, always told Emily that." She corrected herself, looking down at her hands.

"You gonna be okay?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah," Kaitlyn replied, looking back up and shaking her head. She looked straight ahead though not looking at anything in particular. Suddenly something jabbed her in the side and she turned just in time to see Daryl pulling his hand away. "Ow! What was that for?" She asked.

"I dunno, I just thought everyone was ticklish there." He answered.

"What?" Kaitlyn asked, laughing a bit. "Wait, why did you think that? Are _you _ticklish there?"

"Me? No, I ain't ticklish nowhere." He replied quickly.

"You are!" She said, smiling mischievously.

"Don't you dare!" Daryl warned, but Kaitlyn was already crawling across the tent. He tried to sit up and back away but it was too late. Kaitlyn tickled his side, being careful not to get near where his stiches were on his other side. He tried to fight it but eventually caved. "Stop, stop!" he wheezed. Kaitlyn laughed and stopped. Daryl looked at her, his expression agitated. "You happy now?"

"Yes, actually, thanks." She smiled at him.

"Hey." A voice came from the front of the tent. Kaitlyn looked up to see Andrea climbing through the tent flap. Kaitlyn rose and grabbed her bow. "I'm going to go for a walk." She announced and went to leave the tent, not even looking at Andrea.

It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the light but when they did she headed off. She walked towards one of the large pastures and then towards the woods. "Hey, wait for me!" A voice called. Kaitlyn stopped and turned to see Ashley running across the field. "You shouldn't be alone, you could pass out again." She said breathlessly as she joined Kaitlyn.

"Okay." Kaitlyn said as she started to walk again. They walked in silence for a moment.

"So," Ashley started "how's Daryl doin'?"

"He's doing pretty good considering." Kaitlyn replied.

Ashley remained silent for a moment or so. "He's kinda cute, isn't he?"

"Who Daryl?" Kaitlyn asked. "I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it."

"And now that you are thinking about it?" Ashley looked at her.

"I guess. But, he's been with me through this whole thing; it's just weird for me to think about him like that." Kaitlyn told her.

"Oh, okay." Ashley said and Kaitlyn saw her smile impishly.

Kaitlyn stopped and turned to her. "Is there a point to all this?" She asked.

"Oh, it's nothing; I was just making sure that you two weren't a thing first." Ashley told her.

"First?"

"Yeah, before I try and make a move, silly." She said acidly sweet and walked away.

"Hey, I thought you said I couldn't be alone out here." Kaitlyn called after her.

"I lied." Ashley replied.

Kaitlyn scoffed and walked on for a few moments longer before finding a fallen tree and sitting down. She tried to process what had just happened. Was that a threat? But, if she and Daryl weren't together, why was it even any of her business. Because they were friends. Could they be more than friends? Kaitlyn wasn't sure. She didn't really know how she felt about Daryl, or how he felt about her. He obviously cared for her, but in a more friend way than anything else, right? She was snapped out of her thoughts by someone calling her name. She jogged back towards the pasture that she had entered from. There waiting for her were Brittany and Sparky. "Rick and Shane are taking a group out for gun training, you in?" Brittany asked.

Kaitlyn thought about it for a moment. She already knew how to shoot, and she still wasn't feeling quite right. "No, I think I'll stay here, watch things, keep Daryl company." She replied. "Besides, I'm not feeling quite up to it."

"Alright, well, don't work yourself too hard while we're gone." Sparky told her. They walked back to camp together. Everyone but Kaitlyn, Daryl, Dale, Glenn, and Hershel went to the target practice. Kaitlyn, however, did not go to keep Daryl company. Instead she wandered into the house. She planned on asking Hershel if he ever found his horse that had bucked Daryl, but he was nowhere to be found. The house seemed to be empty. She stepped into the living room and noticed an old grand piano sitting in the corner. She approached it slowly and ran her hand across its dusty surface. She sat down and the piano bench. She placed her fingers delicately on the keys and began to play. She missed the first few notes, but soon enough she had herself lined up. Für Elise flowed melodically from the piano.

Kaitlyn smiled as she finished but clapping from behind her caused her to jump. "I didn't know you played." Daryl said as she whipped around to face him.

"Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me." Kaitlyn replied.

"Like what?" Daryl asked.

"Like…I don't know, I'll think of something later." Kaitlyn said. "Why are you up? You need to be resting, not running around all over the place." Kaitlyn told him.

"Yeah, well I got bored with that." Daryl said as he walked over and sat next to Kaitlyn on the bench. "Play again?" He asked quietly.

"Sure." Kaitlyn said. She put her fingers to the keys and started to play Moonlight Sonata. She played a couple more songs and even taught Daryl, with a lot of hard work, to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She had just started teaching him Mary Had a Little Lamb when the front door busted open and Ashley came in.

"There you are, Daryl!" She said.

"Aw, dammit." He whispered and turned as if thinking he could really hide from her.

"What's going on?" Kaitlyn whispered.

"She wouldn't leave the tent, I only left to get away from her." Daryl hissed back.

Kaitlyn snickered and turned back to the piano. "Daryl, you need to go lay down right now." Ashley instructed.

"No, I'm good, thanks." He replied.

"But, you'll never get better if you run around the farm all day!" She exclaimed.

"Fine," Daryl exasperated. "Come with me please." He said to Kaitlyn.

"Okay." She replied smiling. They both rose and Daryl started to limp towards the door. "You gonna make it?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Daryl said through gritted teeth.

"Here, let me help you stubborn ass." She said sliding his arm over her shoulder and helping him walk.

"Thanks." He said. Kaitlyn smiled in return. She could feel Ashley's gaze boring into her back as they walked.

She helped Daryl limp back to the tent but by the time they got there the effort had left both of them exhausted. They both fell down onto the tent floor and lay next to one another on their backs.

"So, what exactly happened out there?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Well, I fell of that damn horse, rolled down a hill, and got an arrow stabbed through my side. Then, when I was tryin' to climb back up the hill I fell again. Then I think I hit my head 'cause I was havin' hallucinations and what not. But I climbed that hill and dragged my ass back to camp." He said.

"Wow, you certainly don't spare any details." Kaitlyn said, smiling. Daryl just rolled his eyes.

Kaitlyn rubbed her eyes' tiredly and yawned. Daryl yawned as well and soon enough they had both fallen asleep, the sun still shining through the holes that Daryl had poked in the tent with his arrow.


	22. Chapter 22-The Barn

**A/N: So, I know this one's a little late, sorry! But I made it longer, hope that makes up for it. Also, I will be visiting family out of state for the holidays, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get another chapter out this week, but I'll see what I can do! Happy early Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate! (: **

The next day, around noon, everyone was gathered around the fire eating breakfast, but no one was speaking. It was the kind of silence that is uncomfortable, but no one wants to break. Kaitlyn and Daryl sat next to one another and Kaitlyn could feel Ashley's glare from where she stood on Hershel's porch, but Kaitlyn just smiled and took another bite of egg. She looked around at the quiet group and saw Dale nodding at Glenn. Kaitlyn eyed them curiously and Glenn stood and walked to the front of the group. Kaitlyn followed him with her eyes until he stood in front of everyone.

"Um, guys." He said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. Everyone stopped and looked at him. "So," he continued nervously, his voice shaking a bit "the barn is full of walkers." He said finally.

"Wait, what?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Hershel keeps walkers in the barn over there." He nodded at the barn off to the right of the house. Kaitlyn had never been very close to it, if she had, though, she probably would've heard moans.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Glenn confirmed. "I saw them myself."

"Well, then, let's go check it out." Shane said.

Everyone rose and Kaitlyn ran back to the tent to retrieve her bow. Daryl followed her in and began rummaging about. He pulled his crossbow out and slung it over his shoulder. Kaitlyn made to leave but her grabbed her wrist. She turned back to him questioningly but he didn't say anything. "What?" She asked.

He pushed something metal into her hand, it was the gun that she had had earlier. She had forgotten about it completely. "I found it on you when you passed out. You know you ain't supposed to have it, but I won't tell nobody, you may need it." He said.

"Thanks." Kaitlyn smiled softly at him. He nodded and they exited the tent together, Kaitlyn stuffing the gun into the back of her jeans and covering it with her shirt.

Everyone walked over to the barn, apprehension written clear on their faces. Everyone stopped a little way back except Shane, he walked on up to the door and put his face close to a gap and looked around. There was a growling noise and he stepped back. He turned and walked back towards the group. "You cannot tell me you're alright with this." He said, addressing Rick.

"No, I'm not." Rick replied. "But we're guests here. This isn't our land."

"For god's sakes," Shane exasperated. "This is our lives!"

"Lower you voice!" Glenn told him.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea said.

"It ain't right. Not remotely." Shane said. "Okay, we've either got to go in there, we've gotta make things right or we've just got to go." He continued. "Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time. "

"We can't go." Rick told him.

"Why, Rick?" Shane questioned. "Why?"

"Because my daughter is still out there," Carol stepped forward.

"Okay." Shane said. He took a deep breath and put his hands together. "Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility."

"Shane!" Rick reproved. "We're not leaving Sophia behind."

"I'm close to finding this girl I just found her damn doll two days ago!" Daryl said angrily stepping forward.

"You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did, you found a doll." Shane countered.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Daryl told him.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said!" Shane yelled. "You get a good lead in the first forty eight hours-"

"Shane, stop!" Rick demanded.

"Let me tell you somethin' else, man." Shane continued. "If she was alive out there and saw you commin' all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction!" He shouted, throwing his arm back. Daryl jumped at him but Rick stopped him. Soon enough the two men were throwing punches at each other with only Rick between them. "I'll beat your ass, you don't come at me!" Shane yelled. Kaitlyn pulled Daryl back carefully but he still had his eyes locked on Shane. "Easy there, cowboy. " She said as she got him to back away. Shane, however, was still coming. Rick finally pushed him away and pointed a finger at his chest. "Back OFF!" He instructed.

"Keep your hands off me. " Shane said.

"No, just let me talk to Hershel." Rick told him. "Let me figure it out."

"What are you gonna figure out?" Shane demanded, round on Rick and charging back towards him. Lori stepped in front of him and stopped him.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn," Rick explained calmly "I have to talk him into it. This is his land."

"Hershel sees those things in there as people." Dale told them all, holding his hands out. "Sick people. His wife, his stepson."

"You knew?" Rick asked disbelievingly.

"Yesterday I talked to Hershel." Dale told them.

"And you waited the night?" Shane questioned.

"I thought we could survive one more night." Dale replied. "We did. I was waiting till this morning to say something. But Glenn wanted to be the one."

"The man is crazy, Rick." Shane said, still angry. "If Hershel thinks those things are alive or no!"

Suddenly the doors began to bulge outward and the chains on the doors rattled. The moans of walkers could be heard from inside. Everyone retreated a step.

"You know what, man? Go talk to Hershel, but we can _not_ stay here with those things." Shane said, stalking angrily away. Daryl turned and began to walk off towards the stables.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I'm going to go look for SOPHIA!" He said loudly and pointedly. Kaitlyn though she saw Shane raise his middle finger.

"Alone? Do you want me to come with you?" Kaitlyn asked.

"No, I wanna go alone." Daryl replied. Kaitlyn didn't trust him out there alone, but she knew it was no use arguing with him.

She walked back to camp and sat down next to Brittany and Sparky. Sparky had her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "What're we going to do?" She asked.

"I say we take 'em all out." Brittany answered. "I mean, I get it kind of cruel and all, but it's not safe with those walkers there."

"Yeah, but it is Hershel's land. He doesn't have to let us stay here, we can't tell him what he can and cannot do on his land." Kaitlyn pointed out. She knew how Hershel felt. When she found Emily, even though she had turned, having to put her down was devastating. Kaitlyn closed her eyes against the painful memories.

"Hey Kaitlyn?" A soft voice asked.

She looked up to see Carol standing a little way off. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Do you know where Daryl went?" Carol looked nervous.

"Uh, yeah, I'll take you to him. I'll be right back, guys." She added to Sparky and Brittany as she stood. She led Carol off towards the stables and went to follow her in.

"I need to talk to him alone." Carol requested.

"Oh, well, alright." Kaitlyn said skeptically. Carol walked into the stables alone. Kaitlyn carefully edged as close as she could to the door without being seen and listened carefully. Kaitlyn could hear Daryl struggling with something. "You can't." Came Carol's voice.

"I'm fine." Daryl told her.

"Hershel said you need to heal." She insisted.

"Yeah, I don't care." Daryl said. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes, he was always so difficult.

"Well, I do." Carol told him. "Rick's goin' out later to follow the trail."

"Yeah, well I ain't gonna sit around and do nothin'." Daryl said.

"No, you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse." She paused for a moment. "We don't know if we're gonna find her, Daryl. We don't." She paused again. "I don't." She whispered.

There was a silence. "What?" Daryl asked, confused.

"Can't lose you too," Carol said. Another silence. Suddenly Kaitlyn heard someone throw something then grunt in pain.

"Are you all right?" Carol asked.

"Just leave me be!" Daryl snapped. "Stupid bitch." He burst out of the doors and walked back to camp, not even noticing Kaitlyn. Carol followed him out slowly.

"Hey." Kaitlyn whispered.

Carol turned and Kaitlyn saw that she was crying. "I hate that he does this to himself." Carol said.

"I know he's stubborn as an ass, though." Kaitlyn told her.

"It's just, he's done so much to find my little girl, heck, he's done more that her own daddy did for her in her whole life. I just hate to see him get himself hurt when we don't even know if we'll find her." Carol whimpered then began to sob.

"Hey, hey, come here." Kaitlyn said. Carol walked into her outstretched arms and sobbed into her shoulder. "Look, Carol, I know how easy it is to give up hope, trust me. But I'm sure she's out there somewhere. She's a smart girl. You just have to keep hope, as hard as it is, because sometimes it'll be the only thing keeping you going." She told her.

Carol nodded into her shoulder. "Now, I'll go talk to Daryl, see if I can knock some sense into him, okay" Carol nodded. They walked back to camp together and split up. Kaitlyn went to the tent where she found Daryl sitting, looking distant. "You know, you didn't have to call her a bitch." She said as she joined him, crossing her ankles in front of herself.

"What, did she come whinin' to you?" He asked hatefully.

"No, I heard you guys talking though." Kaitlyn said.

"Why does that dumb bitch care what I do anyway?" He demanded.

"Because she feels like she owes you. She told me that you did more for Sophia in just a few days then her own father did in her whole life." Kaitlyn replied. "I mean, you've been risking your life for her little girl. She has a right to be worried about you. Hell, I'm worried about you. If you don't just slow down, at least for a few more days, you're going to rip that hole in your side open."

"I think I'll be fine."

"Well, you're wrong." She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Daryl said.

"You're such and asshole." She told him, though she chuckled a bit. "But, seriously, you need to go talk to Carol. She really cares about you."

He looked at Kaitlyn for a minute before rising and exiting the tent. Kaitlyn smiled and followed him out. He walked up to Carol and said something to her before walking off. She followed him as he led her towards the small pond not too far off from camp. Kaitlyn crossed her arms and leaned against a tree, smiling. "They grow up so fast." She said to herself.

They talked for a while before coming back. "How'd it go?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Fine," Daryl said, walking off towards the house where everyone was congregated on the porch. As they approached, Kaitlyn heard Andrea talking.

"No, he went off with Hershel; we were supposed to leave an hour ago." Andrea was explaining. Kaitlyn assumed she was talking about Rick.

"Yeah, you were what the hell?" Daryl asked.

"Rick told us he was goin' out." Carol said as she came up behind them.

"Damn it! Isn't anybody takin' this seriously?" Daryl demanded. "We got us a damn trail." He threw his arm towards the woods. "Oh, here we go." Kaitlyn followed his eyes to see Shane coming towards the group, the bag of guns thrown over his shoulder. "What's all this?" Daryl asked as Shane approached.

"You with me man?" Shane asked, handing Daryl as rifle.

"Yeah," Daryl said, taking it from his hand.

"Time to grow up," Shane said, handing Kaitlyn a shotgun also. "I heard you can shoot, that true?"

"Yes." Kaitlyn said. Shane looked to Daryl who nodded.

"You already go yours?" he asked Andrea.

"Yeah, where's Dale?" Andrea replied.

"He's on his way." Shane answered.

"Thought we couldn't carry," T-dog said.

"We can and we have to." Shane told him. "Look, it was one thing sittin' around here, pickin' daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't." He turned to Glenn. "You 'bout you, man? You gonna protect yours?" Glenn looked at him for a moment before taking the gun. "That's it, can you shoot?" He asked Maggie.

"Can you stop?" She asked. "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight."

"We have to stay, Shane." Carl said.

"What is this?" Lori called, coming around the corner.

"We ain't goin' anywhere, okay?" Shane told Carl. "Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? Well…he's just gonna have to. Now we need to find Sophia am I right?" He pulled a small pistol out of his pocket and knelt down in front of Carl. "Now, I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it."

Lori pushed between Carl and Shane and stared angrily down at Shane. "Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make."

"Oh, shit!" T-dog exclaimed.

Everyone turned their heads. Out of the woods came Hershel, Rick, and Jimmy. On two poles with a noose on the end were walkers. Rick and Hershel each had a leashed walker and Jimmy was baiting them onwards and towards the barn. "What is that?" Shane asked before he started running. "What is that?"

"Shane!" Lori called after him but everyone followed. Kaitlyn cocked her gun before heading after the group. They ran and busted through the gate near the barn. "What the hell are you doin'!" Shane screamed.

"Shane, just back off." Rick ordered.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Shane demanded. "You see? You see what they're holdin' on to?" He pointed at the walkers.

"I see who I'm holding on to!" Hershel yelled back.

"No, man, you don't!" Shane yelled.

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk." Rick commanded.

What you wanna talk about, Rick?" Shane shouted. "These things ain't sick! They're not people! They're dead! Ain't gonna feel nothin' for them 'cause all they do, they kill! These things, right here. They're the things that killed Amy. Same things that got Emily and Devin. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us.

"Shane, shut up!" Rick yelled.

"Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you somethin'." Shane said calmly, pulling his pistol out. "Could a living, breathing person, could they walk away from this." He pointed his gun at the walker that Hershel had ahold of and fired three times. "That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that? Why is it still commin'?"

"Stop it!" Rick demanded.

Shane fired twice more. That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still commin'?" He shot it again.

"Shane, enough!" Rick shouted.

"Yeah, you're right man." Shane said, walking up to the walker. "That is enough." He fired in between its eyes. As if fell, Hershel looked terrified. "ENOUGH RISKIN' OUR LIVES FOR A LITTLE GIRL WHO'S GONE! ENOUGH LIVIN' NEXT TO A BARN FULL OF THINGS THAT ARE TRYING TO KILL US! ENOUGH! RICK, IT AIN'T LIKE IT WAS BEFORE! NOW IF Y'ALL WANNA LIVE, IF YOU WANNA SURVIVE, YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR IT! I'M TALKING ABOUT FIGHTING RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!" He turned and ran for the barn door.

"Take the snare pole!" Rick said to Hershel, but Hershel was still looking at the body of the walker. "Hershel, take the snare pole! Hershel, listen to me, man, please. Take it now. Hershel! Take it!" Shane began to beat on the lock with a pick axe. "No, Shane. Do not do this brother! Wait!" Rick pleaded but Shane continued and picked the padlock off. Then he started on the wooden board holding the door shut.

"Don't do it!" Glenn begged.

"Rick!" Lori yelled.

"Please!" Rick implored.

Shane pulled off the wooden bar and started banging on the door. "Come on, come on! We're out here!" He yelled and backed away, pulling out his pistol.

"This is not the way!" Rick screamed. "Please!"

Kaitlyn shook her head angrily but aimed her gun. The walkers began to come out and everyone opened fire, sending walker after walker down. Maggie, Beth, and Hershel were all together looking very distraught. "Stop!" Rick pleaded over the gunfire. But everyone knew that they couldn't stop. Daryl, Kaitlyn, T-dog, Andrea, and Shane all stood in a line taking down the walkers one by one. They took out the last of them and everyone stood in silence. Kaitlyn lowered her gun, her eyes full of shame. She hated to have had to been a part of this. It was silent except for Beth's whimpers until another growl sounded from the barn. A little blonde figure shuffled out and when it raised its face Kaitlyn gasped.

It was Sophia. No one moved as she climbed slowly over the fallen walkers towards the group. "Sophia!" Carol sobbed and ran forward. Kaitlyn grabbed her and they sank to the ground together. "Oh, no Sophia." Carol sobbed. Tears rose to Kaitlyn's eyes as she held on to Carol to try and keep her from running to her daughter. "I'm so sorry." Kaitlyn whispered. She looked up to Daryl who looked dumbfounded at the little girl. Carol continued to sob Sophia's name as she drew closer. "Don't watch, okay?" Kaitlyn told her as a tear slid down her own cheek; she knew exactly how Carol felt.

Rick looked about the group then his face set in a hard expression. He walked forward and lifted his gun, but hesitated. The little girl drew closer and closer until Rick had no choice and pulled the trigger.


	23. Chapter 23-Unstable

**A/N: So sorry that this one if over a week late, but like I said I was away from home, then I was having computer trouble. But, nevertheless, here it is! Please enjoy! **

Sophia's little body crumpled to the ground with a small thud. Kaitlyn held the still sobbing Carol. "Don't look. Don't look." Daryl said as he and Kaitlyn tried to help her to her feet. She pushed away from them and ran away from the barn. Kaitlyn turned to Daryl and something in his eyes troubled her. She whipped her head back around to the group and surveyed them all. Rick was looking at a terrified Lori who held the crying Carl. Everyone else was looking around ashamedly. Hershel was knelt on the ground with Maggie, his hands over his face. Jimmy was hugging Beth, her small frame wracking with sobs. Patricia stood a little way off from them. Dale had returned and looked at the dead bodies with utter disbelief on his face. Beth broke from Jimmy and stumbled towards the carnage. "Shh, shh, shh. Wait." Rick tried to stop her but she pushed past him. She pulled a walker of the body of a woman Kaitlyn assumed to be her mother. She sobbed and rolled her over. The walker reached up and grabbed Beth by her hair. Beth began to scream and Shane, Rick, and Hershel pulled her away. Glenn grabbed the walker's wrists and T-dog tried to kick her head. Suddenly Andrea came from behind and swung a farm scythe through the back of the walker's head. No one breathed except the still crying Beth. Everyone began to disperse and they all looked thunderstruck. As she walked passed Shane, she shoved her gun into his chest with a smack and followed after Daryl.

Kaitlyn found Daryl sitting behind a tree, his face buried in his hands. She sat down next to him and he looked up. "You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked.

"Well, you had been risking your life to try and find Sophia. Just thought you might be a bit…disappointed."

"I'm fine." He told her.

Kaitlyn sighed. "Poor Carol though, huh?"

"She'll be fine." Daryl said.

"How do you know that?" Kaitlyn asked curiously.

Daryl stared at her for a moment thoughtfully before turning away from her. "Because you're fine." He said.

She smiled at him. "Thanks." She said appreciatively. She looked around the tree and saw people loading the bodies up into a truck. "Looks like they're gonna bury the bodies soon. Do you wanna go get Carol?"

Daryl nodded and they both rose to find her. They went to check the RV first and that was where they found her. She was sitting next to the window, looking out of it sadly. Daryl climbed up onto the counter, still holding the gun that Shane had given him, and Carol turned to look at them only for a moment before turning back to the window. No one spoke as Carol stared miserably out the window. After many long moments in silence Lori came though the RV door. "They're ready." She said. Carol turned but only shook her head. "Come on." Lori told her.

"Why?" Carol asked, though she was staring down at the table instead of them.

"'Cause that's your little girl." Daryl said.

"That's not my little girl that's some other, thing." Carol said, looking up at him. "My Sophia was alone in the woods." She turned back to the window. "All this time I thought." She paused. "She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago." No one spoke. Lori turned and left the RV. Kaitlyn looked to Daryl, but he just stood and left. She looked at Carol.

"Look, Carol," She came and sat across from her. "I know exactly how you feel. I was so worried about my brother and sister. When I found that Emily had…had turned, I was devastated, but, I would've given anything to get to give her a service." Carol didn't show any signs that even heard Kaitlyn. "It doesn't matter if Sophia died a long time ago. A soldier doesn't come home from war and his body isn't recovered, his family doesn't just go on with their lives, they have a service, whether to honor their life or just for peace of mind." Carol took a deep breath, but still said nothing. "Hey, are you coming?" Daryl called, sticking his head back in the door.

"Yeah," Kaitlyn said quietly as she stood and followed him to the tree where they had dug holes for the deceased.

Everyone was gathered except for Carol. Hershel was in a nice suit and held an open old, worn-down bible in his hand. As Kaitlyn and Daryl stood together next to Brittany and Sparky he cleared his throat and began to read. "John 11.17-27. When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother .When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.'" Hershel closed the bible and took a deep breath. They all stood in silence for a moment before walking off in different directions.

Kaitlyn meant to follow Daryl, but got sidetracked by Brittany and Sparky. "Hey, do you think you could help with loading up the walkers."

She turned and looked after Daryl and saw Ashley also staring after him. She sighed and turned back to Brittany and Sparky. "Uh yeah, sure," She shook her head. They walked to the barn together and T-dog, Dale, and Andrea were already there loading the bodies into the back of a blue pickup truck. She set to helping and they had made to trips when Rick joined them. "A few more trips." He said.

"We got lucky." Andrea told him, helping T-dog lift a body. "If that barn had anymore, we could've been overrun."

T-dog grunted as he and Andrea dropped the walker into the truck. "Good thing Shane did what he did, when he hid." He said breathlessly.

Kaitlyn dropped he arms of the walker she was starting to drag towards the truck. "You can't tell me this was right." Dale said.

"It wasn't." Rick agreed. "It'll cost us with Hershel."

"He's grieving. He'll come around, see we had no choice." Andrea said.

"You don't know that. Either way, it wasn't _our_ choice what to do about that." Kaitlyn said agitatedly.

Dale gave her a disbelieving look. "Look, I shot too. This wasn't all Shane." She told him.

"Yeah, but he pushed us against the wall, that's when we had no choice." Kaitlyn argued.

"Look, I got no qualms about it. Walkers in my backyard? Hm-mmm." T-dog said.

"Yeah, but it wasn't your backyard." Kaitlyn pointed out.

"I'm not saying that we shouldn't have taken care of the problem, but creating a panic?" Dale asked.

"There's not point arguing about it. It's done." Lori said as she approached the group. "There's nothing we can do about it."

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and dragged the walker back to the truck and loaded it in with the help of Sparky.

"Let's get moving." T-dog said, climbing into the driver's side. Andrea hopped in the bed and they took off.

Kaitlyn her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm gonna go back to the tent." She told Brittany and Sparky and they nodded.

She walked back over to the tent where she found Daryl sitting down with a needle and thread, sewing his angle wing vest to the sleeves of a long-sleeved shirt. "Wow." She said. He glanced at her before turning back to his work.

"Wow what?" He asked.

"I think you've officially out rednecked yourself." She said and chuckled a bit.

He just scoffed, "Looks a lot better than your jacket."

"Ha, ha shut up." She said. She had almost forgotten that her backpack with her jacket inside of it was still in the Jack Daniels truck. "Actually, I should probably try and find one; it'll be cold before long."

"Maybe Maddie, or whatever her name is, has one you could borrow." Daryl told her.

"Maggie? Maybe." Kaitlyn agreed.

"Kaitlyn, have you seen Hershel?" Sparky asked, throwing the tent open.

"No why?" Kaitlyn answered.

"Beth's gone into shock or something, and no one can find him." She told her.

"Well, I'll help look around." Kaitlyn said, heading towards the open tent flap. Daryl rose to follow but she stopped him. "You finish that." She told him.

He nodded. "Where are you going to look?" He asked.

"I don't know, around I guess." She said.

"Well, be careful, he could have walkers locked up anywhere."

"I'm pretty sure that was all of them." She told him.

"Well, just be careful anyway." He said.

"Okay, I will, promise." She held her pinkie up.

"No, we spit shake this time." Daryl reminded her.

"Oh, how about we don't and say we did?" She asked nervously, unsure of if he would actually try and make her spit shake.

He looked at her contemplatively for a long, quiet moment. "Okay, fine, but take this for good luck." He leaned in quickly and pecked her on the cheek. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. He turned quickly away, but not before she could see his cheeks were turning red.

"Wow, um, okay, thanks." She said awkwardly and headed out of the tent. She looked back and saw Daryl hitting himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand before the tent flap closed. She joined Sparky who was waiting a little way off.

"What's wrong with you? Do you have a fever? Your cheeks are awfully red." She questioned.

"Yeah, I, uh, I'm fine." Kaitlyn answered.

"Let's go then." Sparky said. Kaitlyn followed but wasn't very helpful. She was thinking about Daryl. What he did could go two ways. Either it was a very uncharacteristically romantic gesture or it was an equally uncharacteristic friendly gesture. She shook her head. If he was trying to be romantic, would he have looked so much like he regretted it later? She knew that he was not a very social person, so maybe he didn't even know what he meant by it. She decided to try not to dwell on it too much. She and Sparky searched all over most of the property before turning in.

They entered the house and found Maggie trying her best to tend to Beth. "We couldn't find him anywhere." Sparky told him.

"Rick and Glenn went to look for him in town." Maggie told them.

"Okay." Sparky said. Kaitlyn looked out the window and saw that Shane and T-dog had lit the pile of walkers on fire.

"Wait," she turned back to group "where is Ashley? She was studying under Hershel, right? She may be some help."

"I don't know I haven't seen her." Maggie told them.

"Dang," Kaitlyn whispered.

"Hey", Brittany stuck her head in the door. "I was gonna get a fire going for later tonight after dinner, anyone wanna help?"

"Yeah, I'll help." Kaitlyn told her. She followed Brittany and as she went out the door, she saw Carol helping Patricia with dinner. She and Brittany headed to their camp. "Hold on, I'm going to check on Daryl, tell him we didn't find anything." Kaitlyn said. Brittany nodded and Kaitlyn went into the tent, only to find it empty. "Hm," she murmured, curious as to where he could have gone. She exited the tent and joined Brittany by the fire pit.

"I think we're out of wood." Brittany said.

"I'll go get some." Kaitlyn told her. She walked over towards the stables and past the open doors. The pile of firewood was stacked up on the other side and she grabbed five small, round logs. When she held them stacked up in her arms, it came to her chin. She moved her head to the side to see the ground better. She began to pass the stable doors again and this time she glanced in, but had to do a double take. She saw Ashley and Daryl, Ashley's arms wrapped around Daryl's neck, and their lips pressed together. Kaitlyn dropped the wood and the loud clatter made them turn. Ashley was smiling merrily why Daryl looked embarrassed and mortified. Kaitlyn began to try and gather the wood hurriedly and began rambling. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't know-I mean I was just-I-Sorry to interrupt you guys I was just getting some-some wood." Her voice cracked on the word wood. She turned and ran towards the camp. Daryl called after her but she just kept running.

"Here," She said briskly, dropping the wood next to Brittany and continuing on.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Brittany asked.

"Nothing!" Kaitlyn replied in a thick yet high voice, still running. She ran out into one of the pastures and then fell down to her knees breathlessly. She sat back and crossed her legs. Tears tried to leak out of her stinging eyes but she kept wiping them away. She didn't even know why she was upset. She and Daryl weren't together; he was free to do whatever he wanted. Still, for some reason, it upset her. She mulled it over for a while and decided that it had to be that she was just afraid of him getting hurt. He was her best friend. She didn't really know Ashley, and though she seemed nice enough, Daryl was a complicated person, and it had taken Kaitlyn over a month to figure him out.

The sun was starting to set and Kaitlyn just sat back watching it slowly lower when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't bother with looking though. "Hey."

She took a deep breath and turned to Daryl. "Hey." She replied.

"About back there," he started.

"No, it's alright. I'm sorry I sort of freaked out like that; it was none of my business. It's just-." She stopped herself.

"Just what?" Daryl asked.

She thought carefully for a moment before answering him. "Well, it's just earlier today, when you kissed my cheek."

"What about it?"

"Well, that could be taken as a romantic gesture. Not that I'm saying it was…Was it?" She asked.

Something flashed across Daryl's face, but Kaitlyn couldn't read it. "No." He said finally.

"Ok, then I guess we're good then, huh? I mean, if you want to go make out with Ashley, go for it." She started to head back towards camp.

"Wait, that didn't sound like we're good." Daryl said.

Kaitlyn stopped. "Why's that?" She asked.

"Look, you're the only person I've really got. If I want to be with someone, I can, you're not the most stable companion." He said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, turning to him. "You're the one who's unstable, giving people mixed signals, and then acting all innocent."

"What?" He asked.

"You can't act all nice and romantic with me then go lock lips with another girl, that's now how things work." She told him.

"Hey, I already told you that I wasn't trying to be romantic, and she kissed me, just so you know." He explained.

"Well, you sure seemed to be enjoying yourself just fine." She said.

"If I was, you said it yourself; it's none of your business." He said.

"Well, good, then let's move on." She threw her arms up and started to walk away again.

"Maybe I just want someone in case one day I wake up and you're not here." Daryl said quietly.

"What?" She turned again. "You really think I'd just leave you for no good reason? Where would I go?" He didn't answer and she looked at him curiously. "What are you getting at?" She asked.

"I'm getting at next time you get upset, you'll 'try and forget'." He said.

"You're joking. You can't be serious. It was one time, one freaking time. It was an accident; I wasn't trying to kill myself. Okay? I was upset; I just lost my brother and sister in less than one day! I was having a problem, and I was trying to deal with it."

"Everyone has problems, but you don't see anyone else trying to handle their problems turning into a raging alcoholic bitch!" Daryl shouted at her.

She looked at him and the sting of his words etched pain into her face. She didn't speak. Shame immediately washed over Daryl. Kaitlyn swallowed hard and looked into his eyes and pulled her arm back before slamming it into his face.

"You stupid bastard!" She yelled.

He covered his now bleeding nose with his hand. "What the hell? I think you broke my nose!" He exclaimed.

"Good." She said callously. "What is your problem, huh? I was trying to move on. Forgive and forget, but you couldn't stop!" She stopped herself. She turned and walked back to camp, her hands in fists shaking.

"What's going on?" Sparky asked as Kaitlyn stalked by her. Kaitlyn just shrugged away from her and walked into the tent, throwing the flap behind her angrily and dropping down onto her pillow, turning away from the flap. She heard it open but didn't move. "Dinner's ready." Brittany said. Kaitlyn turned to her, her eyes starting to fill with tears that she was fighting furiously.

"I'm not hungry." She said.

Sparky stepped out from behind her. "What is wrong?" she asked.

Kaitlyn didn't answer but just looked at the other side of the tent.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Brittany asked.

"Daryl Dixon is the stupidest, redneck, asshole, bastard, douchebag, son of a bitch ever, that's what's wrong." She said angrily and flipped back over on her pillow.

"Okay, that explains it." Brittany said. Kaitlyn heard her and Sparky leave. She stared violently at the tent, as if she was trying to burn a hole through it. She waited on Daryl to come in so that she could pointedly ignore him but he never came. After hours of waiting she began to wonder if he was with Ashley again and her face reddened from reawakened anger. She crawled to the mesh in the tent and looked out. She saw a small fire burning way off in the distance. "Found him." She whispered to himself. As she went to go back to her pillow she saw the hole that Daryl had poked in the mesh with his last arrow. She stared at it wistfully, almost bewildered by the fact that only a few days before, she and Daryl were so close and happy, but in less than an hour it had all changed. She lay back down on her pillow and wrapped her arms around herself, a few of the tears that she had fought valiantly sliding down her cheek.


End file.
